The VA Start-up Guide: What You Need to Know FrSt!
- Jem Jabrica
- Jun 8, 2023
- 11 min read
Ideal for:
Newbies
Those currently employed but wish to start their online business
Those who have no idea where and how to start
Those who have no idea how to price their services
NOT Ideal for:
Those who are already experienced VAs
Those who need to find quick gigs
Those who need to find extra income
Those who need to find quick-rich schemes
Table of Contents
At this moment you may have been asking yourself whether it's worth it to switch from being an employee to being a Virtual Assistant (VA). Here are the things you'll need to consider.
3 Misconceptions about being a Virtual Assistant
It's a requirement to have a portfolio or to have experience working for any company before starting as a VA
Bottomline: NOPE. But it's an advantage.When I started as a freelancer, I was still employed by an investment bank. What I did to maintain my financial security, is to make sure I looked for online gigs that I could easily do part-time. I did find a data-entry task for $6 an hour, which is about finding contacts to fill an excel sheet. My client back then gave me good feedback and that was the ONLY experience I've had before I ventured into being a VA. Of course things may be different now.
I was referred to a VA Agency by a friend who was already an experienced VA by then, and I was upfront with them about my lack of experience. What I did to give myself confidence before that fated interview was to learn anything I can from web design, creating a website using the old school Filezilla or FTP server, figuring out ecommerce tools, researching programs that will help with productivity and automation.
Basically anything that will make running a business easier.
And after that interview, I was matched up with 2 clients right off the bat, despite my lack of experience, knowledge and the tools a VA need.
What I only had back then was my thirst for learning, humility and transparency.
Trust is a very important factor when it comes to ANY relationship, not the least when it comes to business. And so after letting me know that they will give me 2 clients, I let them know that I may not be able to do what they expect of me on Day 1 and that I still need to learn a lot. They understood and they still were willing to let me work with 2 clients and see where we could go from there. Back then, I honestly have no idea what it was to be a VA, all I knew was I wanted to try online freelancing and see where it takes me.
So fret not.
Even if you're just starting, there are hundreds of thousands of data-entry, research, transcription, even tutoring tasks you can find online. These days you can also apply to VA agencies, like I did, that can match you up with a client right after spending some time training you in the usual programs and tools a VA needs.
When you start as a freelancer or a VA in whatever niche you pick, google will now be your best friend. There are even newbie-friendly Facebook and Linkedin groups where you can ask from or share your knowledge with experienced VAs and freelancers worldwide.
With that said, even if it's not a REQUIREMENT to have a portfolio, it's never a bad thing to do one. There are a lot of sites where you can learn to create your portfolio that is particular to the niche you intend to serve.
I am too old / too young to be a VA
Bottomline: NOPE. Anyone from a high school student to a retired employee can have various opportunities to be a VA. Small businesses, solopreneurs, enterprise, online shops, creative agencies, production companies, you name it, they need it. New opportunities crop up everyday for remote working on LinkedIn alone. Not to mention those projects you seek out on your own once you figure out the right questions to ask to the right person. Whatever the age, it's what YOU offer on the table that matters.
I won't have to work more than 40 hours a week.
Bottomline: It depends.It truly depends on the tasks you were given. This may be the case once you become the expert, or if you've automated or delegated much of your tasks, but this will still take time to learn and implement. If you're still starting, learning what you can is an inevitable part of your process, especially if you wish to land a client that looks for someone who already has an idea how to do a particular process, program or skill.
In the first few months, you can expect to dedicate more than 40 hours of your week to self-training, research and most importantly, networking, especially if you're urgently needing to land a client as soon as possible. But no matter how urgent or desperate you feel, your mental and physical health should also take up room in your daily to-dos.
Now that we've debunked some misconceptions about becoming a VA, you might wonder how to set-up a Virtual Assistant business. Next up we'll share with you some of the-
6 Misconceptions of Building an Online Business
You will find your first client easily
Bottomline: NOT REALLYThe reality is, you will need to spend time building a glance-worthy profile / resume / CV alone, especially if you don't have much of a portfolio yet. Here are some tips I can recommend to ramp up your social media profile and make it stand out to potential clients.
Create a LinkedIn banner and Facebook cover with a catchy headline | State clearly which niche you're targeting to help, and then state what you can offer. The more specific it looks, the better. This clarifies who you can and CANNOT work with at the start. Your graphics should also reflect your brand colors, but if you have not decided on them yet, Canva templates are already solid to begin with. |
Connect with like-minded individuals on social media | Absorb the formats of their posts as well as the schedule they usually post. It also helps to ask them to share their knowledge via personal message. But of course, you can't just hit them up with a simple "Hey" or "How are you doin'?" There's a way to message them that won't be intrusive, salesy, desperate or even sound like a chatbot with an automated script. |
List down EVERYTHING you've ever done on LinkedIn | Don't underestimate the importance of your previous jobs or previous projects. What seemed an easy and no-brainer task to you back then, may be a life-saver for other potential clients. |
Connect with people in your target niche | Researching their posts give insight into their values, preferences, and dislikes, which helps tailor your approach as a potential client. Plus, you'll get a sense of who they are as a person. All of this helps you better assist them. |
Bottomline: What does your budget tell you?
Your budget will dictate what you can work on alone and what you can outsource to a freelancer (project-based), a VA (on a retainer), project manager (more experienced, retainer, full-time or project-based).
Of course, with zero capital, it already goes without saying. But as you become more expert in what you do and have figured out what you can outsource, what you can automate, you will eventually have more hours to dedicate to upskilling or scaling your business. But for quicker results and a tight schedule, investing in a skilled VA who walks the talk may save you time and money in the long run.
My business / skills won't stand out
Bottomline: Finding your niche is the key.
Surely, there are a lot of VA agencies out there already, but that doesn't have to stop you from starting your own. In this site, there are already more than 2,500 niche you can choose from. And in each niche, there are hundreds if not thousands of business owners under that.
Fewer experts in a niche equals higher demand and potentially higher rates for your services. But if demand is low, it might be time to reassess your niche or adjust your offerings.
BOTTOMLINE: You don't need a LARGE start-up capitalNo business can start without a minimum investment. Needing a laptop and a decent internet connection are a given in this field. If you already have that, then there are a lot of freemiums online that you can use to build your brand, plan your social media content and build your website, to start with.
The biggest thing you need to spend on are ads.
Bottomline: NOT NECESSARILY.But spending on marketing IS one of the things you can expect to make an investment on.
For as low as $1 spend per day on Facebook ads, you can have your ad be seen at least 37,359 times for the year, that is, if YOUR business truly needs it.
You'll find that if you have a solid social media or content strategy, you won't need to spend on ads at all. Aside from this, you may also need to set aside a budget to buy plans for scheduling tools, project management apps, premium trainings, exclusive kits and other things necessary for your business growth.
I can earn more for less hours
BOTTOMLINE: EVENTUALLY.CEO income levels won't come quickly. Landing pages that promise you you'll earn so much in just 30 days or less don't often say how much work should have been done BEFORE you get to that stage. We often get distracted by the big bucks others have earned from their program and how quick they earned it and how we could earn the same.
But the certain thing is, if you have formed a habit of efficiency and consistency, results will come rolling in. The important thing to remember is not to get desperate and hope for quick results because that's a quick way to get attracted by get-rich-quick schemes.
Creating a social media calendar takes time and brain power, from designing graphics to researching hashtags to planning brand-centric posts. Tip of the iceberg stuff that will consume your time, energy and brain cells. Drink coffee moderately.
What Services A Virtual Assistant Can Do
If you're already set on which niche you wish to work on, it's now time to see what clients look for in a Virtual Assistant.
Here are the things you can do to figure out what kind of help and skillset the clients would need, which will ultimately help you learn and train yourself on what kind of Virtual Assistant you want to be.
LISTEN - Not with your ears, but with your eyes, fingers and keyboard.
Answer the Public, Reddit, Quora, Linkedin, Facebook, etc. these are just some of the 'cafe's I stay in where I can listen to some tips and information related to the niche I wish to work in.
When you find out the niche you want to serve in, this time, you use the keywords common in that niche in the abovementioned platforms. For example "fitness coach virtual assistant" then you may see posts mentioning some of the following: job posts, the challenges of being a VA for a fitness coach, challenges of being a fitness coach, etc.
COLLATE - collect and filter is what you would do in this instance.
When you've collected the data from the platforms and other sites which itemises / explains their various business needs, organize it and google the tools you need to get the result your potential client would want. Much better if your potential client already has a program / application or tool in mind that you need to master in.
CUSTOMIZE - be more specific in your messaging, in your profile, in your posts and applications.
One-size-fits-all does not often apply in this instance where you can just do a generic cover letter and your CV and you're good to go. Ensure that everything from your cover letter down to the portfolio will be applicable to the project you wanted to work on.
READ BETWEEN THE LINES - The requirements in their job postings are usually about "what" and not "WHY".
What they usually ask in their job posts are not the end-all and be-all of what the clients TRULY need.
Researching a project's goals or asking the client about their purpose allows you to tailor your services and potentially offer something beyond the usual tasks.
For example if they look for one who needs to manage their social media, they're not just looking for someone who can do graphics, figure out what to post or figure out the best time to post them. One of the goals when it comes to managing social media is that the client MAY need to increase brand awareness. But why do they need to increase brand awareness? Because being top-of-mind with their target market helps A GREAT DEAL when they are planning to launch ads, products or other campaigns designed to get sales down the road.
And that's the cherry on top.
The Backbone of Every Virtual Assistant Service
If you need to figure out the basics of every virtual assistant service there is, here are the common tasks a Virtual Assistant SHOULD do.
Data-entry | Wrong information may result to a customer receiving the wrong e-mail, documents being sent to the wrong customer, wrong product information may cause a business to lose sales, and the like. A lot of processes in the business involve data-entry, so paying attention to details is a MUST. |
E-mail management | Your VA can ensure that you won't lose hours on such tedious tasks such as filtering the informative e-mails, urgent, client e-mails and making sure everything is tagged properly so it won't crowd your main inbox. Done well, this can help establish, maintain and improve the engagement between your client and his or her own client / customer base. This will showcase your level of professionalism and your ability to represent your client's brand tone. |
Document production | A great VA will ensure that the files you send to your customers or your clients will remain on brand, accurate and also creative whether it be archiving, form creation, contract creation, copyediting. Visual presentations can deliver WOW factors that can further help your business gain leads. |
Calendar management | Keeping up with your client's personal and business schedule can be simple enough, but it also needs your attention to detail. |
Bookkeeping | Even without accounting or finance background, you should be able to understand the basics of why legers should be balanced and what it would do to your client's finances if one invoice is taxed wrong. |
CRM Management | Maintaining, updating customer information, activity reports, almost all the information for the business related to leads and sales are stored here, so managing CRM well cannot be taken for granted. |
Social media management | A great VA know not just to create graphics, content or reports on demand, but he or she should also anticipate what impact a social media strategy should have on the client's business. They should always know why and what the strategy is for, which will help ensure that the strategy is consistent with the client's brand. |
Project management | Product launches, podcast launches, funnels are some of the projects that can mark a milestone in your journey as a Virtual Assistant. What's important is not just about achieving each of the necessary step to complete a whole, but making sure that each step resonates with your client's brand. |
Research | It's not just about google-ing something, it's also knowing what to look for and where to look. An efficient VA maximises their time by finding out the quickest, most effective way to do their given tasks which include but are not limited to: writing content, planning content strategy, managing content, planning marketing strategy and other process that will improve your client's business processes. |
Charging for VA Services
According to Upwork, Virtual Assistant rates averages from $10 to $20 per hour.
Of course, most newbies start much lower than $10 per hour and may even accept their first client at just a meager $2 USD per hour.
In order for an aspiring Virtual Assistant to prevent him or herself from falling into the modern slavery trap, the VA should calculate how much his or her services should be worth.
Firstly, calculate how many hours you can work per month. Exclude your country's holidays, birthdays and even weekends if you prefer. This will give you the time freedom that you need. Calculate your expenses and divide it by the hours you're willing to work. Set that up as your MINIMUM non-negotiable rate.
If you're just starting as a VA and the rate you ended up with is higher than the average hourly rate, then it means you may need to do more to deserve it. Enroll in courses, study your niche inside out. It's all good and dandy to want to charge premium, but you have to make sure you deliver well and not just promise them the moon.
One of the important lessons I've learned over the years in order to figure out what VA services are worth, is that the VA would have to know how much value their service can provide to their business.
Think in terms of conversions and sales. If in the discovery call, the VA figures out how much money they can help the client make through their services, then that information can serve as a negotiating tool. Since the VA can bring in money through one or more service they provide, the VA can include in the agreement that he or she has to be paid a commission percentage or a flat rate that is lower for the client to pay but big enough for the VA to use for their daily expenses.
But for starters, expenses over hours worked or the average hourly rate can be used as reference, whichever is lower. You can go low, but for your sanity and your clients too, don't ever settle for less than what you need to survive, not just as an individual, but as a business owner.
We are not slaves, we are entrepreneurs.
Where to Get Clients
There are several places to find clients as a VA: social media groups, online job boards, networking events, and freelance websites such as Upwork or Freelancer. You can also reach out to potential clients directly through email or LinkedIn.
Facebook Groups
In the search bar, use the hashtag #hiring
Also subscribe to the Jobs section
Wowing them on Discovery Calls
Say you already booked a discovery call with your prospect. What's next?
Figuring out what to tell them!
Discovery Call is basically the first sip of your morning cuppa, the first note you hear in a new song, the first date, the first line in a book. In a nutshell, this call will determine everything that's right and everything that can go wrong during your journey together.
Here are some tips to guide you in finding out how you can help your potential client but FrSt, this will also help you figure out if both of you can work well together.
Remember that you're a business owner too, and not an employee
This will shift the power balance to you. Although your prospect has the power to decide to work with you, so do you. You're not at anyone's mercy. But the way we should present this is humbly, but firmly.
Find out their pain points
Prove you 'get' them by paraphrasing their pain points and explaining the value of your services. Knowing the 'why' behind tasks helps justify premium pricing.
Be transparent on what matters
Be honest about the details that matter to your client's business. Cover your bases by disclosing how many hours tasks will take, your work style, and what's NOT included in your deliverables.
Don't be afraid to talk about money
This will truly make a difference to knowing whether you're being paid your worth or if you're being overworked. Transparency also plays a big role in this situation because you'll figure out in this stage what services you will and will NOT be doing for your client.
Of course you will need the YES from your prospect, preferably on the call. But if you don't feel confident yet on closing a deal for the first time on the call, there are other ways to close this deal.
You can send an e-mail where you itemise what you have discussed and what you can offer, or offer another time to call where you present your proposal based on the details of your first call.
What I highly recommend is jumping on another call to close it. Send the e-mail first and ask the client if they would like to have another call to discuss their questions or if they would like to proceed to signing the contract with you.
Options are good, but never overwhelm them with more than 2 or 3.
Do you feel confident enough to get that Fresh Start on your business journey?
Share this blog if any tip or advice stood out to you!
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