If you want to start your own virtual assistant business, you have to be willing to invest in that business. The hard part is knowing where to spend your money and where to save. In this post, we’ll look at what you need to invest in when you’re just starting out. Plus, we’ll look at the free tools available to meet your VA business needs.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links (meaning I will get a small commission if you buy through my link). You won’t pay any more if you use this link. And I only promote products I truly believe in! They are marked by an *. As An Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
An Online Presence
Do you have to have a website to be a virtual assistant? No. There are lots of VAs who don’t have websites so it’s not 100% necessary. But you do need an online presence.
Think about it, anyone who plans to hire you will research you online. And you want those potential clients to be able to find you, right?
A Facebook Page
If you don’t want to create a website or don’t immediately have the funds to do so, create a Facebook page instead. Your Facebook page can function as your website. You can direct clients here for more information about your business. There is a section for your services and a section for reviews so the function is very similar to what you would have on a website.
A Linkedin Profile
Lots of people look for virtual assistants on LinkedIn so it’s good idea to create an account here as well as Facebook.
A Website
Personally, I do believe that a website is the best way to go for your online presence, but again people have been successful without it.
The reason that I believe a website is the best is that you own your website. What happens if Facebook or LinkedIn shut down. Google+ just announced that they are closing so anything is possible.
But a website is yours. It’s there as long as you want it to be.
And depending on the services you offer, a website is a great way to showcase your skills. If you plan to offer blog post writing as a service, what better way to show off your writing than your own blog. Do you plan to offer email marketing and sequences? Direct your visitors (and potential clients) to your own email list which shows you know how to set up opt-ins and funnels.
What to invest your money in
Your website is where you need to be willing to invest money. Don’t go for a free website. You want to have your own domain name and be self-hosted. For one it looks more professional and another you won’t truly own that free website. Plus, lots of free websites have restrictions on selling products or services from them.
So invest your money in a domain name and self-hosting.
Namecheap is a great place to get domain names for a reasonable price.
As for hosting you will get a ton of suggestions from people. One name you will hear come up a lot is Bluehost. I have several clients who use Bluehost and like it. But there are also a lot of horror stories about Bluehost.
You’re probably wondering why then do so many bloggers recommend it? Well, because Bluehost has a great affiliate program so they’re getting paid to recommend it even if they no longer use that platform.
My current host is Lyrical Host* and they are fantastic! They have an incredible support team and a great message. While their monthly price is more expensive than Bluehost’s 3.95/month, they are worth it! And you can actually pay for your hosting on a monthly basis. Bluehost says that they are $3.95 a month but what they don’t tell you until check out is that to get that deal you must purchase three years of hosting! So your actual investment will be close to $150.
This is one of the many reasons I chose Lyrical Host* – they’re upfront about their hosting. I also like that you get a free SSL certificate. SSL certificates make your website secure for visitors to submit their information which clients will be doing to book calls with you.
Where you can save money
Once you get your hosting and domain sorted you’ll want to build your website. I recommend using WordPress. You can purchase WordPress hosting from Lyrical Host and it will be preinstalled! (WordPress itself is free but depending on the host not always easy to install.) It’s easy to use and comes with many free themes that you can customize. You can also choose to invest in a premium theme. Premium themes generally have more options and allow for more customizations.
If you would like to invest in a premium theme, here are some of my favorite resources:
People often get stuck when it comes to choosing a logo and their brand colors. These things can be changed down the road if you decide you don’t like them. Don’t let this be something that holds you back from starting and moving forward with your business.
So, don’t feel like you have to invest in a fancy logo right away. Create a simple text logo using Canva. Canva is free and you can create really lovely graphics with it.
Also, don’t feel like you have to splurge on professional headshots. Have your spouse or friend take some photos of you and use those. Nowadays you can get great photos with your phone. Just don’t use a selfie!
There are also tons of free resources for images that you can use on your blog as well.
This will be good enough to get you started. And getting started is the most important step!
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The Tools You Need
You will hear about all kinds of expensive tools that you just have to have for your business! Here is the truth you don’t have to have any of them to get started.
You will need tools but there are a lot of free ones you can use until you have more money coming in from your business.
To send invoices use PayPal. I even used PayPal as my “bank” for my business.
For sending contracts, use HelloSign. You can send up to three free signatures a month.
For your email list, use Mailerlite or MailChimp. Both have free versions.
To manage your client projects, use Trello or Asana. Or even a combination of both.
Use Calendly to schedule your client calls. It can be embedded right into your website.
Hold your client calls on Zoom.
Use LastPass, so that your clients can share their passwords with you.
To create graphics, use Canva as I mentioned above.
Take advantage of all the free Google tools! There is Google Docs, Google Forms, Google Sheets! Plus, you can store and share files with your clients through Google Drive.
Also, most social media automation tools have free plans to start with.
What to Invest In
The one tool I do recommend investing in is a contract template from Horkey Handbook.* A contract gives you and your clients peace of mind which makes it worth the investment. This contract covers all your needs and compared to other contract templates I’ve looked at this one is reasonably priced.
Once you have more money coming in you can start investing in more advanced tools like Dubsado, Convertkit, Leadpages, or Freshbooks. But until then these free tools will keep your business running. You may even decide that they are all you need!
A License
Check in with your County Clerk or an accountant to see if there are any licenses you need for your business. This can vary from one place to the next. I got a Sole Proprietor license for my business which was $15 and has to be renewed yearly.
Do you need a course?
Yes. I believe so. Will you be able to find people who started their businesses without taking a Virtual Assistant Course? Yes, there are always exceptions, but I’ve never been sorry that I took Horkey Handbook’s 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistance Success Course.*
By following the steps in this course I had two clients before I even finished it! So I know what this course can do! By taking the course I had way more confidence in building my business than I would’ve had without it.
This course gave me a path to follow to get started without feeling lost and overwhelmed. I took the course seriously and did the work because I wanted my business to be successful Gina’s course* gave me the tools to get started and I made sure I put those tools to good use.
Another reason I’m glad I took this VA course is when you finish you get a certificate and being able to add that certificate to your list of experiences and qualifications is a major plus! Two of my clients specifically mentioned that this was why they contacted me for a discovery call. They knew the quality of Virtual Assistants that Horkey Handbook* turns out.
So, yes I recommend you invest in a VA course, especially Horkey Handbook’s 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistance Success Course.*
The Final Tally
To recap, here is what you need to spend money on to start your VA business:
- A Domain Name – through Namecheap.
- Hosting – through Lyrical Host*
- A Contract Template
- Business License – price will vary from State to State
- Horkey Handbook’s 30 Days or Less to Virtual Assistance Success Course.*
For less than $500 you could have your own business! You may be looking at that total and thinking, “Wow that’s a lot of money!” But to build a business remember you have to invest in it. And these start-up costs are small compared to if you were starting a brick and mortar business. That is one of the major benefits of being virtual!
Investing in yourself and your business is worth it!
