Starting out as a VA (Virtual Assistant)

Being a VA and the demand for VAs is growing. Freelancing, remote working and digital nomads are nothing new. But the demand for them has skyrocketed this past year. The rising demand for remote workers is due in part to Covid. All the lockdowns when things needed to get done to keep the world going despite the horrible virus. Surprisingly, being a VA is one of the most attractive businesses today.  So as more and more companies rely on VA’s and businesses are pushing to expand online, this industry has yet to see its full growth.  And if you are left jobless and worried about your future, this is an excellent way to start your VA business.  If you are just starting or planning to dive into the realm of VA’s, then this blog is definitely a good read for you. Lucky for you, we created a package just for VAs, which you can see on our website by clicking this link. 

VA – Who can be one?

Although starting and running a VA business isn’t too difficult, being a VA isn’t for everyone. Not everyone is cut out to sit in one place and work from home without any social interaction. Introverts are definitely loving the virtual aspect of the job, but that is not it! A virtual assistant needs to have drive and commitment. Your clients rely on you to do your job no matter what. This is not for someone who changes their mind a lot. 

What are Virtual Assistant Services?

VA’s services are anything you can possibly think of at the moment. Virtual assistant businesses offer everything a company needs to run a successful business. From social media marketing and booking flights to Facebook advertising and blogging. Look at it this way: a virtual assistant’s job is as if you are sitting in an office in a huge building and doing the following tasks, but this time you are sitting in your favourite room in your home, or an exotic location overlooking the sea, or the nearby cafe having your morning cup of coffee. Besides that, sometimes or most of the time you get to choose your working hours. Here are some of the most popular services virtual assistant business offer today:

• email communication
• administrative work (preparation of all sorts of documents)
• schedule/calendar/appointments management
• personal task management
• data entry
• Facebook advertising
• photography
• booking travel arrangements
• content creation and article writing
• social media posting
• video and audio editing 
• recruitment

Of course, some services require a degree or formal training, so naturally, the rates of these types of services will be higher. Some of these advanced services include managing finances, programming, coding, project management, SEO and many more.  There is a virtual assistant for every job or skill you can possibly think of.

What do you need to start a virtual assistant business?

Let’s say you have already decided that you want to start your VA business. What next? Starting your VA company doesn’t require you to buy any land or rent a property, nor do you need to purchase any special equipment rather than the one you probably already own. The number one tool is a laptop and good WiFi connection, and of course, free time in which you can devote yourself 100% to your work.  

Start-up steps

Other than that, starting a VA company basically requires the same steps as starting up any other business. The steps for a start-up are as follows:

• create a business plan
• give your business a name (read more about choosing a brand name here)
• choose a business structure
• develop a marketing plan
• research competitors
• networking (learn how to improve your business and find clients by networking here)
• find clients

It’s vital to start right, so when you decide how you want to structure your business, it’s best to do it with the help of a lawyer. Starting out right as a virtual assistant means setting up the right legal structure for your business. This will help with legalities, taxes, contracts, documents and many more.  Also, it’s really important to protect your business by having the right contracts in place. Do not be tempted to go with a template of a contract. Re-using and modifying the same document is not the best idea as everyone’s business is unique and requires different considerations.  But it’s not just about contracts. It would be best if you protect your business, and you can do so by understanding legalities and obligations like GDPR. There are various principles that need to be apparent within a Privacy or Data Protection Policy. Therefore it is best to seek legal advice to ensure that you are abiding by the data protection legislation for you to be compliant as an organisation. If you are unsure if your business is compliant, then get in touch. We are experts in this field and can help you navigate through this in a way you will understand. Also, we can’t help but mention the importance of qualified virtual assistants. Please don’t listen to VA trainers who say they have drafted legal documents for you. Make sure they are qualified. There are at least two VA groups we know where the lawyers aren’t qualified under English law (or law at all) to produce the same. Despite what some people say, contracts aren’t international! Last but not least, don’t listen to non-experts. In our line of work and everyday life lately (thanks to social media), we are witnesses to many “armchair experts” who, with their strong opinion, may do more harm than good. For more information about virtual assistant businesses, check out our Facebook group designed especially for VAs.   If you are unsure whether your business will benefit from hiring a VA, have a read at our blog here.