How to Start a VA Business

What is Your Talent?

When it comes to starting a business, becoming a Virtual Assistant is a great way to get your feet wet before deciding on how to niche and specialize however if you want to make a living, you do need to focus on a skill as experts can charge more than general VA's. Keeping that in mind, it is also very hard to get into the industry as a general VA because a lot of people either already do the tasks that you want to do for them or there is an app for it. This list can help you decide what you may offer or might point you in the direction of a skill you want to work on.

• Emails: sending, answering, following up, filtering, cleaning up
• Bookkeeping: entering receipts into excel or other software, communicating with accountant, tracking spending, tax preparation
• Basic Client Communication: send paperwork, following up, cold calling, mailing items (ex. Christmas Cards), phone & chat support
• Database & Client Relationship Management systems: enter info, update / edit, cleanup, deletion 
• Travel: booking, tracking, confirming, preparation 
• Transcription: video, audio, meeting minutes
• Research: online or "spy" visiting competition
• Documentation: creation (ex. how to docs, PowerPoints), forms, reports, templates, sending
• Recruiting: posting jobs, auditing applicants, hiring
• Podcast: uploading to platform, adding into / outro, transcribing, adding to blog, basic audio file editing
• Blogging: publish, management, comment moderating

What is Your Talent cont.

Systems VA

• Appointments: scheduling, calendar management, sending reminders
• Data entry
• Spreadsheet creation, management
• PowerPoint creation, management, print off creation
• PDF creation, management, splitting, merging, converting
• Mapping the customer journey
• Photos: sourcing and organizing
• System organization (ex. G Drive)
  
  

• Website: design, support, development, management, create pages, coding 
• WordPress: install onto host, install Plugin's & themes, updates, backups
• Analysis: site, competition, 
• SEO: on-page optimization, auditing, Keyword research & implementation 
• UTM tracking
• Pixel setup & install
• Landing / Op-In Page: design, support, development, management, coding 
• Membership or eComm site: design, support, development, management, coding
• Chat Bot: create, install, manage
• Online Quiz creation
• Streamline / Automate systems
• App: design, support, development, management, coding 
• Online ad management
• Webinar / Online Event / Course setup

What is Your Talent cont.

• Facebook: FB Business Pages, Groups - create, manage, moderate, post, scheduling, promoting, running Ads, increase following, interact
• Twitter:  create, manage, moderate, post, increase following, schedule, interact
• LinkedIn: create, manage, post, promote, running Ads, increase following, interact
• Pinterest: create, manage, post, scheduling, promoting, running Ads, increase following, create Pin's & Boards, track Pins, interact
• Instagram: Account - create, manage, moderate, post, increase following, scheduling via Meta Business Account, if they want you to interact via their account then you need their IG log in
• YouTube: uploading videos, moderating comments & replying
• Tracking mentions
• Studying & researching hashtags
• Tracking KPI's & analytics
• Membership Launch
  
  

Design VA

• Image editing, creation, Photoshop
• Graphics: logo, banners, icons, lead magnets (ex. ebooks), headers, infographs
• Websites, landing pages, opt-in / download pages
• Social Media posts & profile logos / banners
• Marketing: funnels, ads

What is Your Talent cont.

• Blog Posts
• Sales copy & Advertisements
• Website: Content, SEO, and Keyword
• Newsletters
• Press Releases
• Tracking KPI's & analytics
• Lead Magnets
• Scripts - Podcast, YouTube, etc 
• Ghostwriting: eBooks, physical books, whitepages
  
  

Digital Marketing VA

• Creating a client list: exporting / importing, adding, removing subscribers / information
• Creating & Scheduling broadcasts, sequences
• Email: drips, auto-responders, follow up emails, editing, proofreading
• Online Ads: Search Engine, Social Media
• Google My Business management & setup
• Influencer, Speaker, & Affiliate management and procurement
• Virtual Event Planning & Advertisement
• Advertising, Posting, & Editorial calendar management
• Lead and Sales outreach 

How to Start a VA Business

Business Setup Checklist

Now that you know what you are going to do, lets work on getting that business setup!

Basics

• Research: learn about the niche / skill  you want to use, How easy is it to get into the market? What social media platform can you find your people on? What do you need to get started - licensing? Does your dwelling allow business? What type of bank accounts are there? Are there any grants?  What type of businesses are there?
• Where will you work? Rent an office? Home office - do you have space? Virtual office?
• Check with the city: What do you need to start a business in your city? What resources do they offer? Do you need licensing and insurance? What is the cost? How do you register your business?
• Naming: What will you call yourself? Is it available? Are the domain and social media handles available?
• Structure: What business structure is right for you - sole proprietorship? LLC? - Pick an entity
• Register with the government: they will check the business name and if it is available then they will give you a business number. Also register for any tax IDs you require.
• Apply for any city / business licensing you need (this is different than registering)
• Create a business plan to get a clear vision
• Open a business bank account
• Branding - How will you look & sound? Who are your customers?
• Organize your office space and purchase any items you need (ex. locking file cabinet, password protected external hard drive, computer, etc)

Business Setup Checklist cont.

Services, Rates, & Your Who

• What services will you offer? You can start with a set few and expand.
• Create Customer Persona's based on your target market
• Create your 30 second elevator pitch of your what, who, why
• Determine your business model - hourly? packages? retainers? part-time? full-time? contractor? hiring employees?  
• Determine your rates - How much do you need to make to pay all your bills? What would you like to make?
  
  

Marketing

• Write your clear marketing message - who is it that you help? How do you help them? What problem / pain point do you solve and what does that mean to their business / person? Think something like "I help ___ achieve ____ without ____",  "I help ____ eliminate / get rid of ______ so they can ____", or something similar. 
• Create a marketing strategy - where are your clients? Which Social Media platform do they use? How often do you need to be active? Are you going to buy ads?
• Create a professional email - buy a domain and set up an @yourwebsite.com email. @hotmail, @gmail, @ outlook, etc do not look professional 
• Create a website - it can be just one page, something is better than nothing!
• Create business cards
• Start advertising / being active on the Social Media platform that your clients are on
• Network - join Facebook pages, check out events at your local Chamber of Commerce or even college, chat to new people at parties, etc

Business Setup Checklist cont.

Tech Basics

• Sign up for a document eSign program (ex. HelloSign)
• Setup a payment gateway (ex. Moneris, PayPal, Stripe)
• Setup a video call gateway (ex. Skype, Zoom, Whereby)
• Setup a customer accessible file storage (ex. DropBox, G Drive, iCloud)
• Create a booking engine (ex. Stripe, Calendly)
• Setup a Social Media publisher (ex. TailWind, Meta Business Manager, Hootsuite)
  
  

Build Client List & Get Clients

• Check out job boards, postings, and forums then reply with a professional proposal that can make you stand out from the dog eat dog competition
• Build a network - be active on Social Media, connect with a local group in town, post business cards or postcards on community spaces, anything you can do to build / reach potential clients
• Invite people to a consultation - video calls are popular these days
• Know your customer persona and the people you like to work with - sign only them. For every poor customer match you take just to pay the bills is a slot that the right customer can take. 

How to Start a VA Business

Launch in 4 Weeks

The last few pages certainly provided a lot of helpful information and by now you should have more than enough details to help point you in the right direction. As an additional bonus, I have created the following template for you to use to launch your VA business in only 4 weeks!

The calendar is filled out with our 4 week steps but you can edit it to your liking and your schedule. If it takes you more than 4 weeks, do not worry but also do not over think it. The more time you take to launch the less likely you are to. You do not have to have everything perfect when you do launch, you can adjust and learn as you grow.