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How to Start a Virtual Assistant Business When You Have Zero Experience

May 13, 2019 46 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Learn how to start a virtual assistant business and make money from home!

Would you like to find a way to grow your family’s income without having to get a job or even leave the house?

Once upon a time I felt the exact same way. I was a stay at home mom raising a family on a tight budget and I wanted to find a way to make extra money.

I started a side hustle and several years later, I’m still doing that same hustle only now it’s a full-time business.

Being a work at home mom (or a work at home anyone) withs lots of perks.

Running your own business means you can have plenty of flexibility in your life and there are so many possibilities for making money!

One of the first ways I learned to make money from home was being a virtual assistant.

I actually worked for another VA who was (and still is) running her business full-time.

If you want to start a virtual assistant business of your own, it’s actually easier than you might think!

So if making money from home is your goal, you’ll want to bookmark this post. I’m breaking down everything you need to know to start a virtual assistant business and make money!

You might also like:

Get Paid to Proofread: Your Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Proofreading for Money

5 Legit Business Ideas for Moms You Can Start to Earn $5,000+ Monthly

start a virtual assistant business

Post Contents

  • What Is a Virtual Assistant?
  • But What Do Virtual Assistants Actually Do?
    • What are general virtual assistant services?
    • What is a specialty virtual assistant?
  • What Do I Need to Become a Virtual Assistant?
  • How to Start a Virtual Assistant Business With No Experience
  • 1. Start With the Basics
    • Choose a name for your business
    • Handle the legal side of starting a VA business
    • Do you need a business plan to start a virtual assistant business?
  • 2. Decide What Virtual Assistant Services to Offer
  • 3. Set Your Rates as a Virtual Assistant
  • 4. Establish Your Virtual Assistant Brand
    • Do I need a website to start a virtual assistant business?
    • How to start a blog for your virtual assistant business
  • 5. Start Finding Clients for Your Virtual Assistant Business
  • 6. Research Virtual Assistant Jobs Online
    • Virtual Vocations
    • FlexJobs
    • Indeed.com
  • Level Up Your VA Biz By Taking a Course
  • Are You Ready to Become a Virtual Assistant?

What Is a Virtual Assistant?

If you want to start a virtual assistant business the first thing you need to know what it means to be a VA.

Essentially, virtual assistants are business owners who help other business owners. 

VAs can provide a wide range of services to businesses large and small. But instead of reporting to an office every day, virtual assistants offer their services online.

Work is done remotely and virtual assistants are self-employed, not employees.

That means no employee benefits package and you also have to handle paying your own taxes as a business owner. And instead of getting a weekly paycheck, you may get paid once a month.

Those are things you have to get used to when you become a business owner.

Buuuut overall, the perks of running a VA business are pretty sweet!

  • The hours can be flexible and shaped to your schedule (which is perfect if you’re a busy mom)
  • There’s high earning potential. (According to ZipRecruiter, the average VA makes just over $67,000 annually and some make well over six figures.)
  • It offers a creative outlet and way to put your professional skills to you.
  • You can work with a diverse group of clients and meet some really interesting people.
  • Depending on your skillset, you can pick and choose which services you want to offer.
  • You don’t need a degree to become a virtual assistant.
  • It’s possible to start a virtual assistant business without spending a ton of money upfront.

Another plus: virtual assistants are in high demand, from both brick-and-mortar businesses and online businesses.

Bottom line, if you’ve got the right set of skills and know-how to market your VA business, you could keep a steady flow of clients (and money) rolling in.

But What Do Virtual Assistants Actually Do?

virtual assistant business

So, the second thing to know if you want to start a virtual assistant business is what kind of services VAs offer.

The short answer is, pretty much any services they want to offer that businesses are willing to pay for.

VAs can fall into one of two groups: general virtual assistants and VAs who offer specialized services.

What are general virtual assistant services?

General VAs may work with lots of different types of clients; they don’t necessarily limit themselves to any one specific niche.

I worked as a general VA for a larger VA company before starting my freelancing writing business. The client list included a commercial real estate developer, a church and an online marketing agency.

Needless to say, my daily to-do list covered a lot of ground. And if you’re thinking of becoming a general virtual assistant, the services you offer might include:

  • Email management
  • Organizing and scheduling your client’s daily calendar
  • Writing sales copy for newsletters or email autoresponders
  • Creating PowerPoints or entering data into spreadsheets
  • Online file management
  • Ghostwriting and publishing blog content
  • Scheduling posts to social media
  • Editing documents
  • Creating research reports

These are all things that I did as a general VA and the list of services you might offer could be much longer.

Taking the general approach as you start a virtual assistant business might appeal to you if:

  • You like connecting with lots of different kinds of people.
  • Your skillset lends itself to a variety of tasks.
  • You find doing the exact same thing every day boring.

On the other hand, you might be looking for a way to flex your expertise in a particular area. If that’s the case, you may want to consider offering specialized VA services instead.

What is a specialty virtual assistant?

It’s simple; it’s a VA that targets a specific type of client with a specific service.

For example, you might offer Pinterest design and management services for mom bloggers. Or you might offer social media management services for fintech startups.

Those are both really niched-down ideas you could use to start a virtual assistant business. And both have the potential to be super profitable.

Being a specialty VA also means you have an ideal client that you want to work with.

In a nutshell, your ideal client is a business owner who:

  • Has a specific struggle or pain point that your services can solve
  • Is willing to pay the rate you charge for those services

There’s a little more to it than that, of course. Your ideal client also has to be a good fit at a professional level.

A client could be willing to pay you huge gobs of money for your VA services but if their personality rubs you the wrong way or they have unrealistic expectations about deadlines or zero boundaries on communication, then it’s just never going to work.

If you’re considering taking the specialized route as a VA, think about what skills or expertise you could leverage to start your business. For example, you might be great at:

  • Designing eye-catching graphics
  • Navigating social media trends
  • Proofreading and/or editing
  • Web design or coding
  • Managing WordPress
  • Providing customer service and support

Those are all specialized skills that could translate to money-making potential as a new VA.

What Do I Need to Become a Virtual Assistant?

be a virtual assistant

That is the great thing about starting a virtual assistant business–your startup costs are practically zero!

When I first became a VA, literally all I needed to do the job was a laptop and internet. It was the same when I made the shift to freelance writing.

If you’ve already got a computer and you can get online, then you’re ahead of the game.

But besides that, there are some skills that it’s helpful to have if you want to succeed as a virtual assistant. Those skills include:

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills
  • Stellar organization skills
  • The ability to manage your time wisely
  • The ability to think creatively on your feet
  • Being comfortable working on projects solo with minimal supervision
  • Solid typing, writing and proofreading skills
  • Basic knowledge of tools like Microsoft Office and Google docs

Notice, I did not add a college degree or professional certification to the list.

Why not?

Because you totally don’t need them to be successful as a virtual assistant!

That’s another great reason to consider VA work as a side hustle if you want to make money from home.

You might also like:

10 Legit Ways to Make an Extra $1,000 a Month From Home

 

become a virtual assistant

How to Start a Virtual Assistant Business With No Experience

All right, let’s get down to what you really came here for: how to start a virtual assistant business. There are steps to follow to get your VA business up and running (and hopefully, making you real money from home.)

1. Start With the Basics

There’s one small thing and a couple of bigger things to get out of the way before you can start landing your first clients as a virtual assistant.

Choose a name for your business

You could just use your own name as the name of your virtual assistant business. That’s totally fine and a lot of VAs go with that option.

But if you’d rather do business as a VA under a different name, spend some time brainstorming ideas. For example, my friend Ashley calls her Pinterest VA business The Virtual Momma.

Just don’t get hung up on this step, since you want to move on to getting clients as soon as possible.

Handle the legal side of starting a VA business

Once you’ve settled on a name, the next step is making your new virtual assistant business legal.

Depending on where you live, you may need a business license to operate and offer your VA services. Your local government should be able to tell you whether you need a license or any other formal paperwork to get your business off the ground.

Next, you’ll need to choose a business structure. Generally, this means deciding whether to operate as a sole proprietorship, corporation or as a limited liability company (LLC).

Again, you’ll want to check with your local government to see if a specific business structure is required. Basically, setting up a corporation or LLC can offer you more legal protections if your business gets sued or has to file bankruptcy.

Aside from where you live, whether you need to incorporate or form an LLC may largely depend on the type of services you offer and the clients you work with.

If you’re at all in doubt about which way to go, it’s a good idea to talk to a business attorney about which option makes the most sense.

And if you don’t want to hire an attorney, you can check out the LLC Operating Agreement Template offered by Amira at A Self Guru.

She’s an attorney and expert on all things related to blogging and running a business legally.

I’ve used her templates for my blog and freelance writing business and they’re a total steal compared to what you’d pay to meet with a lawyer. So take a look!

LLC operating agreement

Do you need a business plan to start a virtual assistant business?

Not necessarily.

A business plan is usually recommended if you’re planning to get funding from a bank or investors for your business.

But if you’re starting to work as a virtual assistant from home, then whether you create a formal business plan is really up to you.

The benefit, though, of writing a business plan is it can give you some clarity on who your ideal client is, what services you want to offer and how much you plan to charge.

2. Decide What Virtual Assistant Services to Offer

So, you already know the difference between being a general VA and a specialized VA. Now’s where you have to decide which one you’re going to be.

Again, the biggest pro of being a general VA is variety. You could work with a wide range of clients and none of them might be the same.

But my personal opinion if you’re trying to start a virtual assistant business (or any business for that matter) is that it’s always better to specialize.

Having a specialty can help you stand out from the crowd. And that means two things:

  • You’re more likely to be a sought-after VA if you’re offering services that the competition isn’t.
  • You can charge more for those services because no one else is offering them.

As a freelance writer, I specialize in writing about finance. And within that niche, I focus on three things: personal finance, small business and investing.

Narrowing my focus has allowed me to become an expert in my niche. And that means my clients are willing to pay me a lot more for my writing skills.

If you’re totally new to being a virtual assistant, it’s okay to start off providing general services.

And as you work with more clients, really pay attention to what types of tasks interest you most. What are you good at? Which ones do you really enjoy? And what would you like to learn more about?

Thinking along those lines can help you figure out whether you’d like to specialize eventually; and if so, what you’d like to be known for as a VA.

3. Set Your Rates as a Virtual Assistant

woman typing on a laptop

So, your biggest question about starting a VA business might be how much you’re going to get paid.

And the good news is, that’s totally up to you.

The bad news is, that’s totally up to you.

Wait, what? 

Here’s what I mean by that. Being self-employed as a virtual assistant (or a freelancer or anything else) means you have the power to determine what you earn.

You’re the one assigning a value to your time, expertise and services, not the clients you work with. That’s the good part.

The bad part is that a lot of freelancers (myself included, once upon a time) set the bar too low when they’re just starting out.

They want to get paid so they’ll just throw out a number without thinking about what a project is really worth.

So, as you’re deciding how to set your rates for your virtual assistant business, ask yourself these questions:

  • How much time does this project involve?
  • Would you rather charge hourly or per project?
  • What type of skill/expertise does the project span?
  • What’s the client’s budget and what results are they hoping to achieve?
  • Is this a one-time gig or is there the possibility of ongoing work?
  • What’s your relationship with the client like?
  • What rate would make the project profitable for you?

There’s no such thing as one-size-fits-all pricing when you’re running a VA business.

I don’t charge all of my freelance clients the same thing because they’re not all the same. Something that’s going to take me several hours to research, write and review is going to cost more than a blog post I can knock out in 30 minutes.

As you set your rates, don’t low-ball yourself.

The rates you charge should reflect your skills, experience and the value you’re providing to your client.

And it should also benefit your business’s bottom line. If you charge $50 an hour, for example, and half of it goes to taxes and operating expenses you’ve only netted $25 an hour.

That’s not so bad but if you’re charging $50 an hour for a project and netting $10, then you really need to rethink the math.

And don’t go too high with your rates either. In that case, you could price yourself out of your ideal client’s budget range.

Here’s a simple way to figure out where to set your rates as a virtual assistant:

Decide what you want to make per hour, then add 25% to 30% to that number.

The 25% to 30% extra is what you’ll need to set aside for taxes and operating expenses. So if you want to net $50 an hour, you’d need to set your hourly rate at $62.50 to $65.

My tax rate works out to around 23% and I have minimal expenses, so this formula works well for me. But of course, you’ll want to play around with the numbers to find the best rate for you.

virtual assistant

4. Establish Your Virtual Assistant Brand

So, you might be ready to start finding clients for your new virtual assistant but hold up. There’s one other thing you still need to do.

Before you go out, guns blazing, you need to start carving out a name for yourself and your VA business.

Because think about it — if you needed to hire a plumber, would you hire someone who’s got a reputation for delivering excellent service at reasonable rates or a total nobody with zero online presence?

One of the best things you can do for yourself when you start a virtual assistant business is to work on developing your brand early on.

Your brand is you: who you are, what services you offer, what your business is about.

It’s what makes you different from every other VA on the block.

You can start doing some really simple branding by creating social media channels for your business. Again, that might be your name or the official name you’ve chosen for your business.

Go ahead and set up accounts for the channels you want to use but don’t try to promote yourself on all of them just yet. Until you get more established, you’ll want to focus on just those channels where your ideal clients are most likely hanging out.

For example, take the example I mentioned earlier about being a Pinterest VA for mom bloggers. Your top three outlets for getting noticed might be Facebook groups, Pinterest and Instagram.

Focus on making connections to start. If someone asks a question that you know an answer to in a Facebook group, for instance, use that to start a conversation.

Answer their question, first and foremost, and make sure you’re providing real value. Then if (and only if) an opening presents itself, you can mention that you offer VA services if they need some help with their business.

Bottom line, you have to build trust first and a reputation for being helpful before you can attempt to sell someone on your services.

Do I need a website to start a virtual assistant business?

Technically, no.

I mean, I never had a website when I started freelance writing and I still don’t. I have this blog but I don’t use it to find work because clients can find me other ways.

But, if you want to start a virtual assistant business these days, having a website can give you an edge.

Your website can be like your online resume, highlighting your experience and your services.

If you don’t have any experience yet, you may want to start a blog instead of a static website. Starting a blog can be a way to show off your expertise to prospective clients.

For example, let’s talk about that Pinterest-VA-for-mom-bloggers thing one more time.

You could start a blog that focuses on all things Pinterest, with posts about:

  • How Pinterest’s algorithm works
  • What things can help drive traffic to a website (and what can hurt it)
  • How to design amazing pins
  • Current Pinterest trends
  • How to brand your business for Pinterest
  • Why it’s important to use SEO keywords for pinning

And so on, and so on.

Starting a blog when you start your VA business can do two things for you:

It can help you become more knowledgeable about your chosen niche and it’s a chance to hone your writing skills. (And if writing is one of the services you offer as a VA, that’s important.)

How to start a blog for your virtual assistant business

So, there are a million “start a blog” posts you can read (including this one) but the process starts with deciding where to host your blog.

There are platforms that let you start a blog for free but if you’re using your blog to promote your VA business, you’re better off paying for a self-hosted site with WordPress.org and a blog hosting service.

The blog host I use is Siteground and they’re amazing. I’ve never had an issue with my site going down, the customer service is super-responsive and the pricing can’t be beat.

(And if you click here, you can get hosting starting at just $6.99/month!)

Once you get hosting, you’ll need to install a theme, write an About Me page, create a Hire Me page for prospective clients and then start adding posts.

From there, you can go back to those social channels you’re active on and start promoting your blog. The goal here is to build your reputation and credibility with the people who may eventually want to hire you.

5. Start Finding Clients for Your Virtual Assistant Business

We’re down to the last step now and this one may seem like the most daunting. But don’t worry, all of us who run businesses online had to start somewhere, with our very first client.

If you’re already building your network through Facebook groups or other social media channels, that’s one way to attract and find clients for your business. But you do have other options.

Here are some of the best ways to find virtual assistant jobs:

  • Asking people you know for referrals (That’s how I got started as a VA 🙂 )
  • Canvassing remote work and regular job boards
  • Networking through LinkedIn
  • Cold pitching prospective clients directly

Cold pitching a client for a virtual assistant business is similar to cold pitching a freelance writing client. It’s basically you reaching out to a business and offering your services.

That’s the TL;DR version of cold-pitching.

It’s a bit more nuanced and it has to be done correctly to be successful. You have to sell your services in a way that’s not off-putting and that clearly identifies the value you have to offer.

But if you can master cold pitching, it can be a highly effective way to find clients as you start your virtual assistant business.

A few tips for cold pitching:

  • Create a go-to cold pitch template that you can easily tailor to every prospect you connect with.
  • Commit to cold pitching a set number of clients each day and track the ones you send.
  • Send your cold pitches to businesses that are as close to your ideal client as possible.
  • Make sure you’re following up on the cold pitches you send if you don’t hear back within a couple of weeks.

Also, consider getting feedback (from a fellow VA if possible) on your cold pitch before you send it out to make sure it reads well.

6. Research Virtual Assistant Jobs Online

woman looking at a laptop

Job boards are an excellent resource for finding clients for your new virtual assistant business. But they aren’t all the same.

So to help you out, here are a few of my favorite places to scout out virtual assistant jobs.

Virtual Vocations

Virtual Vocations is packed with remote job listings, including gigs for virtual assistants.

There are tons of jobs listed here and you can search to find ones that fit your expertise and VA niche. Head here to register for an account with Virtual Vocations!

FlexJobs

FlexJobs is another job site that’s dedicated to remote and work from home jobs.

I’ve used FlexJobs as a freelancer but it’s also a good place to find virtual assistant gigs. And the best part is that FlexJobs only features high-paying jobs so you don’t have to worry about dodging the low-hanging fruit here.

Check out FlexJobs now!

Indeed.com

Indeed.com is a general job board but it’s still a useful resource for finding virtual assistant jobs.

You can filter by location or industry to find jobs you’re a good fit for. And best of all, it’s free to use!

Level Up Your VA Biz By Taking a Course

You might be wondering whether it’s worth to take a course or two before launching your virtual assistant business.

When I started freelance writing, I totally skipped this step. And while it didn’t hurt me in the long run, taking a course probably could have helped me succeed a lot faster.

If you have the time and money to invest, then I definitely recommend taking a virtual assistant course to help get your business started on the right foot.

And of all the virtual assistant courses out there, there’s only one I recommend.

It’s called Fully Booked VA and it was created by Gina Horkey of Horkey Handbook.

So what’s so great about this course?

For starters, Gina is a virtual assistant guru who’s built a kickass business from her VA skills. So she’s not a newbie to this rodeo.

That means you can trust the advice she offers in the course. And believe me, it’s soooo comprehensive.

The course covers everything you need to know to launch your VA business in under a month and start making money.

If you’d rather get on the fast track to making money with your virtual assistant business instead of getting stuck on the hamster wheel, then definitely take a look at Fully Booked VA!

Are You Ready to Become a Virtual Assistant?

I hope so because it’s an amazing way to make money from home!

This guide is meant to be as comprehensive as possible but if there’s a question you have about becoming a VA that I didn’t answer, head to the comments and ask away.

And I’d love for you to pin and share this post!

Sharing is caring!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Jenn Summers says

    May 13, 2019 at 11:55 am

    Wow, Rebecca, this post is so informative. I have read many posts on VA’s but none had this much great info. Thanks so much for this great read!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 13, 2019 at 1:00 pm

      You’re welcome! There is a lot that goes into starting a VA business so I wanted to try and cover it in as much detail as possible. It’s definitely a great way to make money from home, especially for busy moms. 🙂

      Reply
  2. Claire says

    May 13, 2019 at 12:38 pm

    What a helpful post, I’ve heard of VA’s but this was really informative.

    Thank you

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 13, 2019 at 1:00 pm

      You’re welcome! Starting a VA business can be a great way to make an income from home.

      Reply
  3. Amy Thetford @ Real Talk with Amy says

    May 13, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    Rebecca! This is such a comprehensive and helpful post! Becoming a VA is something I considered before deciding to offer freelance writing services. I love how thorough you are here!❤️

    Working as a VA is also a fantastic way for new bloggers to hone their blogging skills and monetize their site!

    Reply
  4. Katie Meshko says

    May 16, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    Thanks for sharing!! I am a VA and I always love finding new resources and learning more about it! 🙂
    XO, Katie | http://www.meshkomoments.com

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 16, 2019 at 3:41 pm

      Thanks, there are so many great resources out there for VAs. Starting a virtual assistant business can be a great way to make an income online!

      Reply
  5. MamaBuzz says

    May 16, 2019 at 3:06 pm

    Awesome post! I’m a new blogger and I’ve read other resources related to becoming a VA. Thanks for this one!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 16, 2019 at 3:40 pm

      You’re welcome! Starting a VA business can be a great way to make money if you’re looking for something that can deliver an income while you’re waiting for your blog to start making money!

      Reply
  6. Nadia Malik says

    May 16, 2019 at 4:39 pm

    It is the fastest growing online business right now. I am sure having a blog helps to land clients but I agree with you that it is not necessary. If you have good writing skills, there is a lot of opportunity in this field. Would you be able to suggest any courses related to freelancing?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 16, 2019 at 8:19 pm

      Hi Nadia, you’re right about the opportunities for writers out there. I personally never took a freelance writing course — I’m completely self-taught. I’d like to develop one of my own eventually but if I had to recommend one I would suggest Elna Cain’s Write Your Way to Your First $1K. Again, I haven’t taken this course but Elna always provides such great information on her freelancing site and on TwinsMommy that I would definitely trust her to know what she’s talking about. I’m currently working my way through her Ready, Set, Blog for Traffic course and my experience with that has turned me into a huge fan! But if you’re looking for something free to learn freelancing, check out Teachable, Thinkific, Udemy and CreativeLive. All of those are great resources for free or low-cost freelancing courses. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Halle says

    May 16, 2019 at 4:57 pm

    I’ve always wondered the ins and outs of being a VA – thank you for the information. This was very thorough!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 16, 2019 at 8:16 pm

      You’re welcome, Halle! Being a VA can be a great choice for making money online and it’s helpful to know the ins and outs before diving in.

      Reply
  8. Russell says

    May 16, 2019 at 7:26 pm

    I definitely learned a lot about being a Virtual Assistant from your post as it was so detailed and informative.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 16, 2019 at 8:20 pm

      That’s awesome, glad to hear it!

      Reply
  9. Eline @Lovely Audiobooks says

    May 16, 2019 at 9:34 pm

    This is a great post! Being a Virtual Assistant really seems like a good alternative or addition to being a blogger.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 17, 2019 at 1:46 am

      Thanks! Being a virtual assistant can definitely be a good way to make money while you’re working on growing your blog and making it profitable.

      Reply
  10. lia says

    May 17, 2019 at 3:48 pm

    Wow, this is so helpful! I have been thinking about doing this myself and I am pinning it now to look back on later:) Thank you!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      May 17, 2019 at 4:28 pm

      You’re welcome! Starting a virtual assistant business is actually a lot easier than people think and it’s a great way to make money from home!

      Reply
  11. Valentina says

    November 23, 2019 at 9:22 am

    I’ve been actually thinking about offering some VA services so this post came at the perfect time! Thanks so much for writing such an in depth post about becoming a virtual assistant. I really appreciate all the tips you gave!

    xoxo Valentina

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      November 24, 2019 at 11:08 am

      Thanks, Valentina! Being a virtual assistant can be a great way to make money online. Freelance writing ultimately turned out to be my thing but I enjoyed my time as a VA.

      Reply
  12. Corinne @myjearney says

    December 27, 2019 at 9:57 am

    This is something I certainly want to explore in the future. That or someone I may need in the future haha! Either way, being a virtual assistant is becoming more and more in demand so it’d be worth a try. Thanks for this great, informative post, Rebecca.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      December 29, 2019 at 3:06 pm

      Being a VA and starting a virtual assistant business is a great way to make money from home. I’m better at writing so that’s what I focused on but if you’re adept at handling lots of different tasks, being a VA is very profitable!

      Reply
  13. Patricia says

    June 12, 2020 at 9:04 pm

    Thanks Rebecca! This is helpful as it relates to something that I’m thinking of doing soon. Specially helpful is the part on what to charge for your services. Lol! I honestly don’t have any idea what my rate would be starting as a VA. I’m in the process of evaluating my skills to see what would be on my ‘menu of services’ to offer. Currently, I’m working from home helping healthcare agencies with compliance stuff, but also had experience working in the financial industry before as a mortgage offcer, owned a small retail store and in the life and health insurance as an agent. I am thinking of expanding to other areas helping new business owners with things that they don’t have time to do to start their business. Again, thank you! Best of luck to you 🙂 Stay safe!

    Reply
  14. Kimberlie says

    June 26, 2020 at 8:58 am

    It’s crazy to me that a few months ago, I had never even heard of a virtual assistant. Thank you for the comprehensive overview of what they do and how to start a virtual assistant business.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      June 27, 2020 at 3:18 pm

      You’re welcome! Becoming a virtual assistant is a hot online job to have right now!

      Reply
  15. Heather Ritchie says

    June 26, 2020 at 10:19 am

    Excellent comprehensive post! VA’s are so important to businesses everywhere so it’s an in-demand job. You give awesome tips so that even people with no experience can do it. If you’re willing to learn the ropes it’s a rewarding job.

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      June 27, 2020 at 3:17 pm

      Thanks, Heather! Being a VA is a great way to make money online if you like variety and have a great attention to detail.

      Reply
  16. Alice says

    June 26, 2020 at 3:39 pm

    That is very informative and with many useful tips on how to become a VA! Thank you for that!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      June 27, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      You’re welcome Alice!

      Reply
  17. Kari says

    June 26, 2020 at 10:01 pm

    Such a great breakdown on the ins & outs of starting a VA business! So many get stuck in the beginning stages but you’ve answered it all in-depth!

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      June 27, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      Thanks, Kari!

      Reply
  18. Renee says

    July 1, 2020 at 7:21 am

    A great comprehensive read Rebecca, there’d be so many people looking to get into this field at the moment with what’s going on in the world.

    Reply
  19. Britt K says

    July 2, 2020 at 7:44 pm

    This is such a comprehensive breakdown for anyone who’s interested in pursuing a career as a virtual assistant. While that’s not the line of work I currently do, I have been working from home for 3+ years now and I can’t express how much I love it! Having the flexibility to create my own schedule allows me to prioritize other areas of my life when necessary – such as family, friends or hobbies/organizations that I am involved with. I highly recommend it to anyone interested.

    Reply
  20. FVA Consultancy says

    July 7, 2020 at 2:54 am

    That was very nice and informative… You’re very keen on details. I would share this with my friends.

    Reply
  21. Aysha afaq says

    July 28, 2020 at 12:59 am

    Hi there I’m aysha. I’m from Pakistan and I’m stay at home mom. I want to do something to earn money. As you said I have no experience what so ever, but I’m ready to learn. They only thing I cannot do is become a blogger. I have tried a thousand times but as soon as I take some steps it becomes really hard and confusing since I have no experience in WordPress things or adcense or having a site. It is extremely confusing and want to cry my eyes out. This is the thing which gets me down real quick please I need your help. Please. I’m sorry since this is my first time I really may sound like I want to be spoonfed.

    Reply
  22. Elizabeth watts says

    July 31, 2020 at 6:27 am

    Wow .so much good info.
    I love to start but had no clue. I am interested in general VA
    Thank u so much
    Where do I get ur direct email.

    Elizabeth

    Reply
  23. Christian Vibar says

    August 3, 2020 at 10:59 pm

    This is a great guide, Rebecca! I’d like to add before deciding what services to offer, do some research for the most in-demand VA work and check out the average earnings online. This gives you a starting point for your rates. Investing time and money into educating yourself pays off in the long run.

    Reply
  24. Marie Ellis says

    September 17, 2020 at 9:47 am

    Hi, Rebecca! This is a well-researched and well-written article. Good job!

    I’ve read the part where you suggested sites where we can apply for virtual assistant jobs. How about joining a virtual assistant agency like My Mountain Mover? Do you recommend it?

    – Myryl

    Reply
  25. Obrien Orbe says

    September 25, 2020 at 2:54 am

    Hi there, from the Philippines here… I am a plain housewife but due to the situation we are encountering now I took the courage and now, I am under training for a VA and your article is so helpful for an aspirant like me. you are really an inspiration.

    Reply
  26. mahbub it20 says

    October 9, 2020 at 8:55 am

    Thanks rebecca for your very useful sharing

    Reply
  27. KWC Law says

    October 9, 2020 at 10:58 am

    What are the pros and cons of starting a virtual assistant business?

    Reply
    • Rebecca says

      October 9, 2020 at 11:49 am

      Great question! Pros: It’s flexible, you can niche down based on your skills to earn more money, earning potential is outstanding because there’s high demand for VAs right now, startup costs are low compared to other businesses. Cons: It can be hard to find clients in the beginning if you don’t know how to market yourself, you’ll have to learn to manage taxes as a self-employed person, it’s becoming more competitive as more people look for ways to earn money online.

      Reply
  28. KW Virtual Assistants says

    October 16, 2020 at 12:13 am

    Well worth a read. Got great insights and information from your blog. Thanks.

    Reply
  29. Mahbub Hasan says

    November 6, 2020 at 10:39 am

    After taking a degree, every students have a dream to have a job. But now-a-days it is
    very tough to have a dream job. So job related websites become very popular for
    freshers to get a job.A job site can help people find a job with handsome salary. If you have quality, then you
    can manage a job easily.

    Reply
  30. virtual assistant in Canada says

    December 8, 2020 at 6:48 am

    Thank you so much for sharing this information about the virtual assistant business. This is very nice and inspiring!! Thanks for sharing and look for more in future!! I hope you keep update us with such great tips and information in future too. This is a great post; I will share as much as I can.

    Reply

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