How Did I get Started as a VA?

I am often asked, "how do I become a VA?". When I decided to start my own business in 2001 as an Virtual Assistant I spent hours, days, weeks doing research, reading and creating marketing materials. My family thought I was obsessed! There was no course to take, so I took the skills I had developed over the years as an office administrator and put them to use for myself. If you find yourself at your day job saying "I could do this at home!" - or you are actually are doing some of your work from home already, then you might be VA material.

Now consider your financial situation: do you need to replace a full time salary? In my opinion, if you must have the equivalent of a top salary you may find it difficult to do so as a VA. In my case, I was already a stay at home mom when I began my VA practice. It was never my goal to replace my full-time income level, but rather supplement our house hold finances and give me more financial independence. I now make a very nice income, but it is not the same as my former full time salary. The trade off for money is the flexibility and freedom to schedule your day as you see fit and be able to take care of your family.

I searched online for 'work from home' (this was before the term 'virtual assistant' was widely know) and found tons of scams and then finally a legitimate VA organization. I joined a networking group which provided great advice and a chance to communicate with other VAs, both experienced and newbies. I advise you do the same.

Take the time to educate yourself about how to run a business, how to market yourself and about the technical requirements to operate out of your home. Take a look at my office setup on my website for an example of the software and hardware you might need.

A big part of becoming a Virtual Assistant is knowing how to find information on your own. You need to be able to do research both online and offline for resources and information. A VA must be 'self-sufficient' because you will not have an office support staff to depend on. Starting and running a business from your home takes a tremendous amount of time and energy. You should do the research first, then make an informed decision whether or not being a VA is right for you.

Here are some tips:

• Read books available either in the library, at half-price book stores or for purchase on the subjects of "starting a home business", "starting a home-based secretarial service business", and "how to become a virtual assistant".
• Do internet searches on the same subjects. Read, Read, Read!
• Visit websites about small businesses such as the Small Business Administration, http://www.sba.gov/ and the IRS, http://www.irs.gov/ for information about taxes and a home based business. Yes, you will have to pay your own taxes.....
• Visit the websites for the VA networking groups and/or VA Training such as: http://www.ivaa.org/, http://www.iavoa.com/, http://www.staffcentrix.com/, http://www.assistu.com/, www.virtualassistanceu.com. Find more by searching for "virtual assistant".
• There are now services available to assist you in becoming a VA such as: training or certification courses, coaching or mentoring. Do your internet research to find these.
• Look for VA networking meetings in your local area. I host a quarterly luncheon open to anyone who is interested in being a VA, sponsored by the IVAA (see my website for dates & details). If you are in my area plan to join us. If you are not local then check the IVAA site for a VAC luncheon in your area.
• Consider what type of service you want to offer? Consider how you will market your services: print brochures, business cards, website, mailings, newspaper ads? Will you create these yourself or will you have to hire someone to do it? Who will be your target client or market area?
• Consider what rate you will have to charge and the number of hours per month you will have to bill at that rate to get the income you desire.
• Consider your health insurance needs: are you covered by your spouse? If so , great! Or, will you have to purchase insurance privately? This single factor is often a huge stumbling block for emerging VAs.
• In your search for work remember this very important tip: You should never have to 'pay' for work! Any offer that requires you to pay a fee to get started IS A SCAM! There are a lot of scams out there for people looking for work at home, be careful. When you get started always require either a deposit and/or a signed contract.
• Get away from the employee mentality. Start to think like a business owner! Do not send out resumes, you are not looking for employment. Don't list jobs that do not pertain your services. Don't list your past employers. Your are looking for Clients! When you send out information about your services that you offer, be clear that you are offering your services as in independent contractor, not looking for a job. Format your background and skills into a flyer or marketing message.
• Finally, ask yourself: "Am I an expert at the service I will be offering?" If you cannot answer YES - then stop and reconsider. The VA market is competitive and I feel very strongly that you should be an absolute guru at whatever service you sell to clients.

If you have skills that are in demand and you're an independent worker, then do your research. Once you have educated yourself on the topics I have listed above, then you will have learned how become a VA. I spent about 6 months in 'start-up' mode. There is no quick and easy answer, by doing this research you will have the information you need to make an informed decision and you will learn as you go.

When I'm asked how I got started, this is the answer: "lots of hard work, research and time".

Best wishes,

Rhonda Behnken - CIW, VA
Texas Virtual Assistant Services
"Website & Administrative Services"
E-Mail - rhonda@txvirtualassistant.com
Phone/FAX: (281) 354-7495 Cellular: (281) 381-6508


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