Written by With the endless possibilities the internet offers, starting a business without blowing your savings, taking out a loan, or searching for investors is easier than ever, especially with virtual assistance. A VA business, which can provide administrative, technical, and/or creative support to clients worldwide, is arguably one of the best at home business to take on, as you can mold it to fit your talents and interests rather than trying to fit into someone else’s vision (avoiding a square peg in a round hole situation).
While some may start with no prior training or extensive skills, it’s worth the mental and time investment to obtain skills beyond administrative support, as that niche tends to be a bit crowded, now more than ever. Fortunately, resources are abundant and often free. For example, HubSpot Academy offers complimentary certifications in highly desired skills such as inbound marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing. These certifications not only enhance your portfolio but also equip you with the knowledge to effectively manage your own business when you are ready to transition to a more hands-on experience.
Once you have acquired the necessary knowledge – whether through HubSpot, YouTube, MailChimp Academy) – gaining hands-on experience is crucial. All the knowledge in the world won’t help you during execution – watching and doing are two entirely different things, and troubleshooting is an on-the-spot educator. Many digital marketing tools and platforms offer free trials or sandbox apps (Keap for example), which are invaluable for beginners. These trials/sandboxes allow you to learn the ropes without a financial commitment. When in doubt or when you hit a snag, revisit YouTube tutorials while working within the product; this will help you comprehend industry terms and teach you not only how to effectively utilize the program but also what to do if/when things go sideways.
Creating an online presence is another critical step, and it doesn’t have to break the bank. WordPress.com, for example, allows you to build a basic website for free or connect a domain for as little as $4 a month. This offers a cost-effective way to create a professional online brand that can attract clients. If you want to invest a bit more in your corner of the internet but don’t want the hassle of maintaining a server, you can always check out Squarespace, Wix, Weebly, or ShowIt. If you decide to venture down the less cost-effective route of shared hosting or VPS, you can save money on design by finding a gorgeous template via ThemeForest.
For communication and marketing, several email marketing systems like MailChimp, Klaviyo, and AWeber provide free services if you have fewer than 500 contacts. This allows you to manage email campaigns and maintain frequent communication with your audience without additional upfront costs. Be sure to check out the features of higher plans so you can grow into your system rather than having to migrate due to unavailable future features (such as SMS marketing, complex automations, Zapier integrations, etc.). You may not need them now, but by the time you do, the cost in funds and time won’t be worth the effort to move to a new platform.
When it comes to creating visually appealing content for your services, tools like Canva and VistaCreate are invaluable. Canva’s free version offers many of the same features as those provided to subscribers, though fonts, images, and other additions may be limited. Even so, what you can do with the free version is more than enough and essential for showcasing your services as a virtual assistant.
In addition to your website and email marketing, there are more task management systems than I can name that are free to use (Trello, Asana, ClickUp, Basecamp, etc.). You can also create a Google Voice account to allow potential clients to contact you without sharing your personal telephone number.
Now that the easier stuff is out of the way, let’s focus on the reason you’re doing this – to make money! Finding your first clients is perhaps the most challenging part of starting a virtual assistance business. Platforms like Fiverr, FreeUp, Freelancer.com, Guru, and UpWork are excellent for securing initial clients. These sites allow you to offer your services to a global audience and start building a client base and reputation. Additionally, participating in various Facebook groups related to virtual assistance and freelancing can provide opportunities to network and find work.
While the monetary cost of starting a virtual assistance business may be minimal, it requires a significant investment of time. Prospective virtual assistants should be prepared to spend substantial time networking, managing social media, and creating content to attract organic traffic. However, the effort often pays off, as the flexibility and potential for growth in this career can far outweigh the initial time commitment.
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