How do I start a virtual assistant business in 2022?

Are you considering starting a VA business and selling your time, services and expertise while working from the comfort of your own home? In 2022, that’s more than possible and can easily become profitable.

Yolanda Crowley, was an executive assistant for 16 years before starting her own Virtual Assistant Business and I am beyond thrilled to have her share her expertise in this industry in this guest post.

Without further ado, here is what you should know before you start a VA business. Please note this post contains affiliate links and I earn a commission from any purchases made, at no extra cost to you.

Don’t Make These 4 Mistakes In Your Virtual Assistant Business & What To Do Instead

Are you interested in becoming a virtual assistant (VA)? Starting a VA business can be frustrating along with overwhelming. Make sure you’re making the right impression by avoiding the following four mistakes:

💎 MISTAKE #1 – Not having a website

The nr. 1 mistake that all virtual assistants make is trying to sell their services of platforms like Fiverr or Freelancer (that take a huge cut of your earnings) or on social media platforms like Facebook – without having a website or online portfolio to direct people to.

This will make you look unprofessional, thus less reliable, which will reduce your chances of getting hired.

Additionally, having a website gives other people a point of reference. You can list your services, rates and testimonials all in one place, allowing them to come to a decision quicker and scoring you extra points against other VAs they might consider.

Thankfully, it’s now easier than ever to build a website and you can start your VA website for only $2.95/month with Bluehost and get your domain name for free!

You can start your VA business under your own name, under a pen name or under a business name (like “Savvy VAs”). Make sure to snag up your website name and URL now, as the good ones go fast!

And if you need any help setting up your VA website, in order to kick off your virtual assistant business, check out Ana’s guide for starting a website with Bluehost here.

WHAT PAGES YOU NEED ON YOUR VA BUSINESS WEBSITE:

  • About me page: share your story & credentials or experience
  • Services & packages page: what you offer (see an example here)
  • Portfolio page: show examples of your previous work
  • Testimonials page: reviews from past clients
  • Contact page: add a client intake form on there
  • Privacy policy & terms and conditions page: get it as a pack here
  • A blog section (optional): helps you show your clients that you’re knowledgeable in your field + gets you found easier on Google

💎 MISTAKE #2 – Still thinking like an employee

I think a lot of us have seen this before. We may belong to some online groups or forums that advertise of a virtual assistant opening. Take a look at this example:

At the very end, this person states, “Please send resume and cover letter to…”

What do you do? You can do those tasks, you can work independently, you can meet deadlines, you can do it all. You want this, right? So you send over your resume and cover letter.

WRONG.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD AND WHY

Remember, you are a business owner. You are not applying for a “job”. Someone is in need of a service and you can provide that service. Would you ask your hairstylist to see her resume before you went to her? What about a plumber? No. You ask around and get reviews and testimonials before you hire them. It’s the same with a virtual assistant.

What you can do when asked for a resume:

  • Send them your website information, (be sure to have any social media links on there). Depending on what your expertise is, you can have an online portfolio embedded in your site. Learn how to build a website in a day here.
  • If you don’t have a website set up yet, direct potential clients to your LinkedIn profile. If it’s completely filled out, it shows where you’ve worked in the past, your portfolio (if you have one), any groups you belong to, and any recommendations.
  • Make sure to create a bio about your business.

You may ask, why does it matter if a potential client sees you as a business owner (independent contractor) or an employee? If they’re paying you and you’re working, what difference does it make?

The difference is…if you end up with a client that is “high maintenance” and/or demanding, they don’t see you as a business owner. They see you as an extension of their business (one of their employees) and they’ll have expectations that align with that way of thinking.

For example: if your client demands you to answer their emails immediately or hop on a call right then and there.

If the client persists in seeing a resume, I would say that person is probably not a good fit because they don’t respect your position as a business owner. And as a business owner, you have control over who you work with.

💎 MISTAKE #3 – Not following directions

I recently had a client who was looking for a VA. I posted in a few VA online groups a detailed description of what the client was looking for. At the end of the post I requested that people email me with their information and rates. Seems straightforward, right? Here are some responses:

It’s amazing how many posts I’ve seen like this. The OP of the post will give instructions such as, “PM me your information” or “Email me at ____.” And there will be comment after comment saying, “I’m interested!” or “PM me with details!”

If you can’t follow a simple instruction, why should the client hire you and trust you in their business?

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD AND WHY

Take the time to read the entire post. This is one way potential clients filter out any unqualified people – the ones that don’t follow directions, don’t get call backs.

💎 MISTAKE #4 – Working for free

When clients start their hiring, they may provide a “test project” for a VA to complete. It’s usually a common task in their business and they want to see how you’ll perform this task. But there is a difference between showing off what you’ve already done (i.e. portfolio) versus spending time and effort creating something new for a prospective employer to “see what you can do.”

Early in my business, I spoke with a potential client. He traveled quite a bit and was particularly interested in the fact that I had coordinated a lot of travel for executives in the past.

After we had spoken for nearly an hour, he asked me to do a sample project: put together an itinerary for him. The thing was, he gave me nothing to go off of – no destinations, or times, nothing. I basically made it all up, flight, hotel, ground transportation, restaurant reservations, meeting information. It took me a good 2 hours. I was so proud of it, I was sure I was going to get this gig. I emailed it off to him, he wrote back to say he received it and would be in touch. And after a couple follow up emails from me…I never heard from him again.

The one mistake I made was not getting any payment from him. HE asked me to work on a project. HE should have paid me for my time. And I spent a lot of time on that.

If I could go back in time, I’d say:

“I’d be happy to put a sample itinerary together for you to show you how I work. My fee is $35 an hour” (or whatever your rate is) and get it in writing.

If he balked at that, I would have said, “I am spending part of my day working on something for you. Time I could be spending working on other projects. My time is valuable, just like yours. If you can’t pay me for my time, I feel this won’t be a good fit. Thank you very much.”

You want to work with people who respect your time and respect you as a business owner. If they don’t want to pay you for an hour or two, can you imagine what it would be like working for them? You’re basically telling the client “My time isn’t valuable enough so I’ll do free work for you.” And that makes you look less desirable and desperate.

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

  • Get it in writing – even if it’s just written in the position description.
  • Wait for a contract before starting any work.
  • Do NOT do any free work. If the client says they want to do a “trial run” for a week to see if it’s a fit but you won’t be paid, do not do it. Run.
  • If asked to do a sample project and it’s going to take you longer than 15 minutes, you need to be paid.
  • Getting paid is simple. You don’t need a fancy online payment system. You can use Paypal or the service I use, Freshbooks.  

Keep in mind, when you work for free, you are robbing yourself of income.

💎 MISTAKE #5 – Setting boundaries with clients so you don’t get taken advantage of

One of the main reasons I got into my own business was that I wanted to be my own boss. I wanted to work on my time, not when someone else told me to. Back in the day, I had a boss that called and emailed me after hours and on weekends. I was expected to work on my free time. (And I was salaried which means I didn’t get paid for working on the weekends either).

I put up with this because I needed the job, I was paid well, and had great benefits. It’s hard to turn away money, right?

Starting a Virtual Assitant Business isn't easy but it's possible! Learn what mistakes to avoid when starting out and how to make the most out of this. Entrepreneur tips for VAs. Become a Virtual Assistant! Blogging tips for young entrepreneurs. The She Approach.

But even though we have our own business, why do we continue to put up with being taken advantage of? Simple. We ignore the unreasonable demands by a client because we WANT THE BUSINESS.

Have you ever had this happen:

Client calls you frantic, on a Friday afternoon, “OMG! I have the ABC presentation first thing Monday morning! I completely forgot! Can you help me put together a Powerpoint presentation? I need it by Sunday! Great! You saved me. Thanks!”

You: Uh…ok. (Thinking…there goes my weekend.)

Why didn’t you tell them no? Because you want the business, right? And you don’t want to appear like you’re not helping your client, which is completely understandable. But, keep in mind – WHAT YOU ALLOW IS WHAT WILL CONTINUE. If you continually jump in and help and give in to what your client demands, they will begin to expect that out of you. And that’s not fair to you.

Other examples of getting trampled on by clients include:

  • Contacting you at all hours. Weekends included
  • Asking you to do a project and get it done ASAP
  • Asking you to do tasks outside of what you’re being paid to

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

  • Clear expectations need to be set up from the very start. Write it up in your contract what days and hours you will work. Stick to it and be consistent with it. If you’re answering their emails at 11pm, that tells the client that you’re available anytime.
  • Do not allow a client to dictate your schedule.
  • Depending on your work style, it could also be helpful to let the client know how to communicate with you. For example: Do you only answer emails at certain times of the day? If so, let them know that. But also be aware of how to communicate with them.
  • Write it up in your contract exactly what duties you will be performing.
  • Set number of revisions included (if applicable)
  • Let your client know about your turnaround time
  • Have a RUSH fee included in your contract
  • It’s ok to say NO to a client. I had a client one time ask me to do a task that was definitely outside my duties and one that I wasn’t comfortable with doing. It wasn’t anything illegal but it was due to his poor planning in his life. I firmly said, “No, I’m not comfortable doing that task.” He said, no problem, and life went on.
  • Be careful about working with friends or family. They might try to get you to discount your rates or do extra work (OR work for free).

You may need the work and you want to help your friend but you have to remember to keep it a business relationship. I know it may be difficult to set boundaries because you certainly don’t want to lose a friendship but remember: Keep in mind that it’s ok to get rid of clients that don’t respect you or your time.

Again, would you ask your hairstylist to work on her day off? No, you wouldn’t.

If you need to let a client go – Just be firm and tell the client it doesn’t appear to be working out. Finish any projects that need wrapping up and possibly have a few other resources for them to find another assistant. Yes, it can seem intimidating to set boundaries with a client. But for your sanity and success, it’s important to do so.

Don’t forget to draft Up a VA / Client Contract 

Note from Ana: If you don’t have a contract set-up already, you need to get one sorted. A contract not only clarifies everything for your client and keeps you on the same page but it keeps your business protected so you aren’t up at night!

I recommend looking into a contract from The Contract Shop that you can set-up and send off in 15 minutes. Click here to take a look at their Virtual Assistant Contract Template.

Set the boundaries early! Remember, we decide when we will work and how much. For many of us, being a business owner offers us freedom from those types of expectations – and we guard that freedom fiercely!

If a client understands you have other clients who all need you every day, their expectations are going to be different than someone who views you as another employee.


Yolanda Crowley works with online business owners to save them the time and frustration of finding their ideal virtual assistant and offers workable solutions to help them create more time and generate more revenue.

She started her administrative career at Tiffany & Co. and worked for more than 16 years as an executive assistant in corporate America & she also works with aspiring virtual assistants to help them gain clarity and be a valuable asset to their clients.


Want to become a virtual assistant? Make sure to check her resources on this topic and take advantage of the free call she offers! I can think of no better person to introduce you to the VA world!

But until then, here are some frequently asked questions – answered:

How do I become a virtual assistant with no experience?

You can become a Virtual Assistant without any experience as long as you have some skills that are in-demand and that you can package and sell.

Take for example Kristin that started her freelance career as a Pinterest virtual assistant completely by accident.

She first used Pinterest to grow her own blog traffic and then she created a Pinterest virtual assistant hire me page once she started getting asked how she did it. (This is what a blog or website can do for you!)

“As time went by, I was able to increase my rates. I started working with higher-end clients with bigger budgets, which meant I was able to work the same amount of hours but earn more!” she explains.

Kristin was able to rely on word of mouth for nearly all her blogger clients, which is how she grew her business and got new clients each month.

You can check out more success stories here to find out how brand new VA’s got their businesses up and running.

But while it is true that you can get started without any previous experience or training, having the proper system in place can accelerate the process.

That’s why I recommend taking a course designed to walk you through how to go from setting up your packages to finding clients, getting paid, and so on. Here are some great resources you might want to check out:

How much money can you make as a virtual assistant?

According to Small Revolution, virtual assistants can earn “between $500 and $800 for general tasks, while VAs with specialist skills such as graphic design, copywriting, SEO, web development and other such specialties generate even more money, typically between $800 and $1,500“.

Become a Pinterest VA students have also reported making between $20 and $40 per hour after finishing the program and raising their prices to up to $75 per hour for specialist services. So everything is possible, even if you might need to be more “affordable” when you’re starting off.

It all comes down to your skill set and what they are worth to your client, but as a golden rule, you’ll always be able to charge more when you list your services on your own website vs a freelancer platform.

So what are you waiting for? Secure your domain name now, and invest in your virtual assistant business now – but be mindful of the other 4 common mistakes.

Before you go, you might also want to read:

Article last updated: September 2020

5 Mistakes People Make When Starting A Virtual Assistant Business

5 Mistakes People Make When Starting A Virtual Assistant Business5 Mistakes People Make When Starting A Virtual Assistant Business5 Mistakes People Make When Starting A Virtual Assistant Business

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Mary Jane Estacio

I hope to be on a freelancing career for good. Being around my family while working is what I want.Thanks for the tips!

Russel Dumalaga (rmdfreelancing)

I really love how realistic this blog is. Thanks.

Rachael

hi Ana, I didn’t see the link to the resource page for Yolanda as you mentioned. I love the information here.

Elisa Nilo Villanueva

I love how you point out the crucial part of being a newbie in this industry. I also want to venture in freelancing, the thought of not leaving my 8 years old son just so I could go to work is what want. I’m looking around to get ideas of the DOs and DONTs before entering freelancing and this is really helpful to me.

Evelyn Sagarra

Hi What courses do you recommend to start VA Pinterest.