How To Start A Virtual Assistant Business
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Do you dream of working at home, starting your own business, having more time with your family, or traveling while you work?
If you love helping others and have transferable skills, in this post, I’ll tell you how to start a virtual assistant business even if you don’t have any prior experience.
What Is A Virtual Assistant?
But first, let’s talk about what a virtual assistant is.
A virtual assistant is a freelancer that does a job or project that is outsourced by another business or entrepreneur.
This job can consist of a variety of things such as managing email or Facebook ads and can be paid based on an hourly wage or as a one-time fee for the project. It can also be a long-term contract or just a short one-time project.
What Can I Specialize In As A Virtual Assistant?
Since a virtual assistant is such a broad term, you have the flexibility to differentiate yourself from other virtual assistants by your skill set and by specializing in one or a few sectors.
For me, a few years ago, I became a virtual assistant that specialized in Pinterest (>> learn how I became a Pinterest virtual assistant that makes well over $1000 a month and how you can too!).
Now I get to make money on a platform that I really like (Pinterest in this case) while also earning money passively from my blog. It has seriously changed my life for the better because I have total flexibility on when I want to work, where, and who I want to work for.
If you’re looking to start your own freelance virtual assistance business and don’t know what you can possibly specialize in, think of all the skills you already possess as well as things you love using that you can master that is currently in demand.
There are so many types of virtual assistants out there and a whole rainbow of services you can provide. I can’t possibly list everything out here but here are just a few examples:
- Freelance writers
- Email marketing
- Customer service management
- Managing Instagram posts
- Keyword research
- Ad management
- Pitching brands
How To Start A Virtual Assistant Business
Starting a freelance business as a virtual assistant is no joke.
It takes time, dedication, constant learning to continually educate yourself in an ever-changing world of business and technology, and possibly a ton of sleepless nights to get started!
However, if you’re looking for a fulfilling and stable job that you can call your own while doing something that you love, it is seriously one of the best things you can start this year.
If the thought of spending hours researching the internet on which services you can offer, how to package your services, pricing, contracts, finding clients, and so on really makes your head spin, you’re in luck.
The SavvySystem
To learn how to become a virtual assistant, be equipped with the skills and knowledge of how to navigate the freelancing world, and start finding your own clients, I highly recommend The SavvySystem.
The SavvySystem was founded by Abbey Ashley and is a self-paced VA program where she guides you step-by-step on how to launch your own at-home business from scratch.
She first started her own virtual assistance business back in 2013 and doubled her corporate job salary working just 20 hour weeks – all in 30 days while on maternity leave! She now runs a six-figure business.
With her knowledge and passion, Abbey has successfully helped launch and grow thousands of virtual assistant businesses around the world and has built a community of over 40,000 virtual assistants.
If you would love:
- A flexible career where you can stay at home
- The ability to choose your own hours and work whenever you want
- The idea of unlimited career growth potential
- The idea of creating a sustainable and reliable business
…you’ll definitely want to check out The SavvySystem.
What’s Included In The SavvySystem?
The SavvySystem consists of easy to follow lessons, templates, scripts, and assignments – all self-paced so you can learn whenever you have some free time in your busy schedule.
- 14 step-by-step modules to help launch your business
- All contracts and templates needed
- The Ultimate Marketing Plan to land more clients
- How to outsource and scale your business
- Design and Email templates to interact with clients
Module 1: Welcome To The Savvy System
Learn the basic structure on how to build your VA business from scratch.
Module 2: Discover Your Skillset
Discover the unique skills you have to offer and which marketable skills should be on your next list to develop.
- Let’s Talk Services
- 10 Ways You Can Offer Services Now
- To Niche or Not to Niche?
- Deciding on Your Services
- Mindset Minute
Module 3: Pricing And Packages
How to package and price your services competitively that are suited for your skill set.
- Mindset and Money
- Packaging Your Services
- Your Premium Package
- Pricing Your Packages
- Get Clients Now
Module 4: Brand Academy
How to develop a solid and recognizable brand for your biz.
- Discovering Your Brand Personality
- Intro to Canva
- Your Business Name
- Branding Elements
- Logo Creation
- Branding Board Creation
Module 5: Processes And Assets
Learn how to develop a portfolio and a clear onboarding system for your clients.
- Your Process
- Your Facebook Page
- Proposal & Portfolio Creation
- Onboarding Your New Client
- Claim your EIN
Module 6: Payments, Invoicing, And Taxes
Set up your bookkeeping method so you can invoice and receive payments. Also, you’ll learn how to pay taxes as a freelancer.
- Let’s Talk Money, Baby!
- Dealing with Unpaid Invoices
- Let’s Talk Taxes
- Developing Your P&L Spreadsheet
Module 7: Legalities
Learn what is covered in your contracts and your legal rights, and establish your contracts.
- Intro to Legalties
- Understanding Your Contract
- Live Outside of the USA?
- Choose Your Legal Entity
- State Requirements & Insurance
Module 8: Marketing 101
Find out just how you can land your very first client!
- Let’s Get Marketing
- Value First Marketing
- Organizing Your Leads
- Facing Objections
- Follow Up is Key
- Nail the Sale: Discovery Call Training
- Accessing Proposal Reviews
Module 9: The Ultimate Marketing Plan
Discover how you can find more quality clients quickly.
- Personal Outreach Template
- Finding Jobs on Facebook
- Your Core Groups
- Marketing Research Meetings
- Local Networking Events
- Freelancing Websites
- Mastering LinkedIn
- Job Search Sites
- Craigslist for Clients
- Conferences and Live Events
- Instagram for Marketing
- High End Client Targeting
- Asking for Referrals
Module 10: Web Development 101
- Your Website Options
- Website Core Components
- Purchasing and Linking Your Domain
- SquareSpace Your Site
- Submit Your Site
Module 11: The Virtual Assistant Lifestyle
Once you’ve gotten your business up and running, you’ll learn about some of the challenges you’ll face and how to plan for success.
- You’re a VA! Now What?
- Dealing with Difficult Clients
- Asking for Testimonials
- It’s About Time
- Self Care and Balance
- Transitioning to Full Time
- How to Fire a Client
- Vacation and Planning Extended Leave
Module 12: Raising Your Prices
Learn how you can increase your prices once you’ve finished this course.
- Choose Your Adventure (Where Will You Go From Here?)
- Your High End Service
- Transitioning to High End Services
- Overcoming Objections & Getting Paid what You’re Worth
Module 13: Building A Team
Ready to scale your business? You’ll learn how to hire others and set systems for better productivity.
- Intro to Outsourcing
- How to Start Subcontracting
- How to Hire the Perfect Team Member
- Project Management Platforms
- Workflows and SOPs
- Parting Ways With A Subcontractor
Module 14: What’s Next
- Your Journey Doesn’t End Here
- Scaling Your Agency Model
- Scaling as an Online Business Manager
- Scaling Your High End Service
- Scaling Through List Building
Bonuses
Not only will you get all of the above, but you’ll also get a ton of bonus resources to help you be even more successful:
- Bonus listing in the Virtual Assistant Database
- Bonus access to the private VA community
- Bonus access to their monthly hotseat coaching
- Bonus access to their monthly deep dive sessions
- Receive Logo and Branding Board templates
Don’t forget also that you’ll receive lifetime access to the course as well as any updates as the VA landscape changes over time!
Not sure if The SavvySystem is right for you? Abbey set up a free workshop that help you find out if it’s the right side hustle for you.
Real Life Examples
Want to see how the students in the course have loved this course and found success?
Take a look at their testimonials and how it has changed their life!
More Virtual Assistant Resources
To increase your likelihood of success, educating yourself to learn more in-demand virtual assistant skills that are needed in the market right now is a great way to increase your rates and attract more high-paying clients.
If you don’t know where to go to upgrade your skill set, I highly recommend checking out the SavvyVault.
SavvyVault
SavvyVault is a membership site with over 50+ tech courses (with new courses are added each month!) that will level up your skills so you can add to your virtual assistant services list and start charging more.
Here’s a list of courses you can learn from SavvyVault:
- Acuity Scheduling
- Amazon Maintenance
- Amazon Store Setup
- Belive.TV
- Branding and Design
- Buffer
- Calendly
- Canva
- Chatbots
- Clickup for Client Management
- Convertkit
- Course Creation
- Dubsado
- Elementor
- Email Marketing
- Event Planning
- Facebook Ads
- Facebook Management
- Google Suite
- Helpscout
- Infusionsoft
- Instastories
- Kajabi
- Leadpages
- Mailchimp
- Ontraport
- Pinterest Management
- Podcast Management
- Real Estate Support
- Samcart
- Smarterqueue
- Squarespace
- Subscription Box Management
- Tailwind
- Teachable
- Thinkific
- Trello
- Webinars 101
- WordPress 101
- Zoom
- Zoom for Webinars
All of these courses are step-by-step trainings on advanced tech and industry specific skills that you can learn in under 30 minutes a day!
The best thing is that you can cancel your membership at anytime once you’ve finished upgrading your skills so you’re never locked in.
I highly recommend that you check out SavvyVault!
Become A Freelance Virtual Assistant Today
Starting your own virtual assistance business is hard work but is so fulfilling.
If you’re still unsure if you want to become a virtual assistant yet, claim your free seat to Abbey’s free workshop that will teach you how to become a booked out virtual assistant.
In her free training session, she’ll help you:
- Find out if virtual assistance is right for you
- How to find thousands of clients who want to hear about your services
- How you can start to earn $100,000 or more by working at home as a virtual assistant
Or if you know you’re ready to get started on your virtual assistant journey, check out The SavvySystem today.
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