My guess if you’re reading this post is that you’re interested in becoming a virtual assistant (VA). First, congrats to you! There’s nothing that inspires me more than seeing other creatives take a leap. Secondly, you may feel confused where to begin … so did I. I had a bit of experience, however zero clue how to go about building a business. Which is why I understand what it was like being in your shoes and exactly why I decided to share my top tips to build your business as a virtual assistant.
Let me preface this by saying that I had incredible mentors. Being a VA is something I never expected to be, however totally changed my world. If you’ve read my about me section, then you know a bit of my story. If you haven’t, here’s a brief summary:
I had always loved blogging. When I found out I was going to be moving abroad I had planned on just trying to grow my personal blog, but really didn’t have a direction.
Around this time, my sister who is an event planner heard that the editor of the leading Pittsburgh wedding blog, Burgh Brides, needed some help.
We connected and felt like it was a great fit so I started doing tasks for her and also started helping my sisters event planning business in various ways.
Once we moved abroad I was going to do this job as well as look into getting another part-time job once I got my visa — however it was taking too long. Since I was already enjoying what I was doing with these two amazing businesses, I came up with the idea that maybe there were others out there who could utilize my help.
Thus, The Virtual Creative was born!
Did I know my business would take off as quick as it did? Definitely not. Was I prepared to do what I had to do to get business? Absolutely! However, before I even let anyone else know or before I even launched my business I game planned hard. Some days I remember thinking what the heck am I doing? Is this even going to work? I even cried to my husband worried that I was wasting time on creating my brand for it to crumble. But with his help along with Burgh Brides and Exhale Events, I kept going because there was always something in my gut saying I should.
Okay, enough of the background story, let’s get to the good stuff! (*Disclaimer: These tips are solely ideas that helped me with my business. I’m sure there are a number of VAs out there who may have other things that helped them and that’s great! But, this is what worked for me. I’m still learning and growing every day, just like you!)
Tips
Find your passion.
What do you like to do? What services can you offer? Ask yourself these questions. This will ultimately let you build a list of services that you’ll enjoy doing. And when you’re excited about what you do, it makes it easier to show your passion for it and attract the ideal clients that you’re looking for.
Make a business plan.
As soon as I tell people this, some people have gotten a little distant — as if they don’t want to put in the work. It’s like they want all of the answers and advice, but as soon as the answer involves putting in their OWN effort, they don’t want to put in the work. I’m going to give you a little tough love and say, you can’t expect your vision to be handed to you. Now, I’ll admit I also wasn’t a fan when my husband said that I needed to create my business plan. BUT it’s helped me so much in the development my brand, what I was looking for in a client, who I was trying to attract, how my services would help them, etc. Your business plan will be ever changing as you grow, but also can be great to re-evaluate if things aren’t going as you planned.
If you aren’t sure where to begin with a business plan, there are many templates out there that are beneficial! Just find one that works best for you.
Build your website.
This is when the amazing ideas in your head come to life. Building a visual behind your brand ideas and seeing it all come together is amazing. And although it’s fun to design, make sure you’re also making your message clear. I’m not saying I have the best website (as I’m currently in the process of updating and making changes!), but you want your design to clearly show what kind of business you are and who you’re going after.
Advertise & market yourself.
Once you launch your business, let everyone know! People talk! And you never know what connections they have. When I launched, I shared it on my FB, personal Instagram, business Instagram, and anywhere I could to get the word out. I’m not saying I have any haters (maybe I do… I don’t know haha!) but nowadays with some people being judgmental, I obviously was so nervous about what some people would think of me as I plaster my new business on every outlet I could. But I also was too proud to care. And you shouldn’t care either! Because half of the people that may judge you are jealous that they don’t have the courage like you #girlboss!
So you do your thang and advertise and market yourself. (Plus, those that do support you will more than likely share your posts too!) Also, look into joining Facebook groups that fit your niche. Those can help you gain exposure and possibly even clients. Some you aren’t allowed to self-promote, however if someone posts about needing help for a job, it’s free game and you can get your name out there!
Make connections.
During my first months in business, I had gained traffic from word of mouth that led me to signing three of my ideal clients within the first month. However, I also received inquiries that were out of my scope of what I offered. But, instead of turning them down, I connected with them anyways! Some I ended up signing and learning something new. (I even discovered a service that I dislike through it, which was a great learning curve.) Others I ended up connecting with that lead to more connections.
For example, I had a call with a client that I couldn’t take on because of the number of hours they needed me to work at the time wasn’t physically possible, however I was able to connect her with one of my other clients who I felt could use their services. It felt great that even though I couldn’t assist this client that I was able to pass along her info so someone who needed her help. You NEVER know who someone may know, so making connections is beneficial in so many ways!
Pricing.
When starting out, I obviously knew what I had been paid, working for other wedding industry professionals. So I used this pricing as a guideline, then increased as I grew and gained more experience and knowledge. Currently, my clients pay an hourly rate for tasks and a flat rate for blog posts. Pricing is tricky, but this is how I was paid previously so I stuck with this method. After having many calls with clients, not every client needed the same exact thing so it’s been easier to customize and say we’re doing “X amount of services at X hourly rate” and we’re doing “Y amount of blog posts and Y flat rate.” However, I am currently in the process of designing/experimenting with packages, so changes could be coming as I evolve more! But right now this is what works for me.
My suggestion, don’t make your prices super low just to get business. Taking into account your education and expertise I would pick a rate that you would like to make hourly. If you’re sticking with charging clients by the hour (depending on your services), then you would obviously just charge this rate by however many hours you are doing for them. If you are creating a package, for each package that you offer, think about how many hours it would take for you to complete everything you offer in that package.
If need to get your feet wet, you could offer trading services with someone if they’re willing to or work at a lower cost so you can build your reputation and attract your main clientele.
Testimonials
Once you’ve done work for a client, have them send a testimonial! This is KEY! When potential clients see that former and/or current clients have had a positive experience with you and your services they’re more than likely to reach out to you versus someone who doesn’t have any testimonials.
Be authentic.
If there’s one tip I can’t stress enough it’s this one. No matter what you do, PLEASE, be you! Don’t copy someones branding. Don’t try to post exactly like your favorite person on Instagram. Be original. (Side note: a business plan can definitely help with this part ;) )
Lastly, embrace the highs and learn from the lows. Give it your all and know that your all won’t let you fail. Your journey will be completely your own and oh so beautiful. You just have to believe it!
Hope this helped! xo