How to Start Your Virtual Assistant Business: A Comprehensive Guide for Beginners

Welcome back to part two of our Virtual Assistant series! Last time, we discussed how I got started as a Virtual Assistant, and today we'll dive into tips on how you can start your own virtual assistant business.

Choose Your Services/Offerings

One of the most critical aspects of your virtual assistant business is choosing your services/offerings. Take a moment to figure out what you're selling and to whom. Last week, I shared my strengths as a content creator. Determine what type of work you want to do and what you're passionate about.

Here are some key points to keep in mind:

• Who is your ideal client? Think about the type of person you want to work with.
• How can your skills help improve their business? Think about what is and isn't working for your client. Present a service/package to help make their business better.
• Selecting your rates. Think about whether you want to offer your service at an hourly rate or a packaged rate. We'll go into more detail on pricing in next week’s post!

TIP: Improving your skills and knowledge can help you offer more value to your clients and stay competitive in the market. Consider taking courses, attending workshops, or reading industry publications to keep up-to-date on the latest trends and techniques.

Setting Up a CRM

Client/Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is crucial to your virtual assistant business. Do your research and choose the right platform to manage everything. Dubsado and HoneyBook are great, but I prefer the interface of HoneyBook.

Decide how you invoice clients, what payment methods you accept, and when payment is due. This can include setting up a payment processor like PayPal or Stripe, creating an invoice template, and setting payment terms.

Creating a Portfolio

Creating a portfolio is vital to showcase your work to potential clients. Consider this page as a fancy resume or media kit. List your services, testimonies from past clients, and work history! If you want a PDF-style portfolio, use Canva – easy to use and has tons of templates! 

Setting Up Your Inbox

Create a separate email strictly for your virtual assistant business. This way, your inbox doesn't get spammed with unrelated items. I recommend using Gmail with all the features that come with it! It connects to the calendar, tasks, and drive, making it so much easier to pull anything from anywhere. If you are looking for an app that makes email management a breeze, you need to check out Spark Mail (a cheaper version of Superhuman with similar features). I absolutely love using Spark Mail; it makes checking and responding to emails so easy; I have a 0 inbox every night! 

Develop discipline by answering emails within 24-48 hours; keep stuff from piling up. If you know you will be busy, set up automated responses to inform your clients.

Think about responses that you will write over and over again – consider putting that as a scripted email response.

My go-to inquiry message:

Hi [NAME],

Thank you so much for your interest in [BUSINESS NAME]. I would love to hear more about you and how my services can help your business.

I am so excited to chat about what you have going on and how I can help! Please click this link to schedule a meeting with me to discuss further the details of your business needs.

Do you have any questions that I can answer in the meantime? Feel free to send them my way!

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

Jasmyne Nguyen

BIGGEST TIP: Define your working hours, communication methods, and project timelines. This can help you manage client expectations and avoid burnout.

Starting Your Social Media Presence

Think about how you will share your business on social media. For example, consider starting a business-only account instead of posting business content on your personal page. I like having the separation, which makes finding clients even more accessible. 

Things to Keep in Mind

Although not priorities, consider these when starting your virtual assistant business:

• Business cards – Be sure to have a QR code to link back to your site if you have one.
• Business phone number – Use Google Voice and have it linked to your phone, which provides you with a new phone number, helps keep your actual phone number hidden, and you can always screen the calls. It’s a good idea to contact ATT customer service, for example, to find out more about how to set this up.
• Contract – Invest in a legit contract instead of attempting to write your version. Use Contract Shop as a starting base and edit it to your needs.

Starting your own virtual assistant business requires careful planning and organization. By choosing your services, setting up a CRM, creating a portfolio, setting up your inbox, defining your working hours, and starting your social media presence, you will be well on your way to success.

Remember to keep improving your skills and knowledge to offer more value to your clients and stay competitive in the market. Stay tuned for the next blog post, where I'll discuss pricing strategies for your virtual assistant business.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at jas@everydayjas.com. I'd love to hear from you and help you start your own successful VA business.