by Amreen Bi

Created on: February 05, 2011

Over the last few years, the Virtual Assistant (VA) industry has grown significantly. Many people are ditching their office based jobs and starting their very own VA business from the comfort of their own home. Companies all around the world are finding out the many benefits of hiring a VA in comparison to permanent staff. Learn how you can start a virtual assisting business.

People who have previously worked as secretaries, PA’s or office workers are the ones who are most likely to start their own VA business. They have the skills and experience to provide their clients with a better service. Those who have little experience generally will not be earning as much.

You can start a VA business without investing a dime. One thing you need to keep in mind though is that you will need to have a phone, a computer with a fast internet connection, a printer with scanner and fax machine. Some people may have to pay for additional equipment but compared to other business startups the costs are low.

Some VA’s invest money to create their very own website. This helps many to acquire more clients and to appear more professional. The costs to create a website can vary depending on what company you use and how professional the website is. You can even design your own.

You can expect additional costs towards business cards and brochures that are used to help market your new business. To further promote their business many VA business owners like to join professional organizations. Some of these organizations are free to join while you will need to pay to join others.

How much you charge for your services will depend on your experience and what services your business offers. Some VA’s charge $30 per hour while others charge $70 per hour. Most will charge far less for easy tasks and more for difficult and time consuming tasks.

Another factor that goes into determining rates will be your expenses. These expenses include fees for website hosting, ink for the printer, internet costs, telephone costs and other business expenses. You will need to do your own taxes which can be a bit of a headache.

For a successful VA business you need to have a solid client base. During the initial stages of developing your business you may have to work for less. You can use each client to create your portfolio and aim to attract better paying clients. Joining a professional organization such as the International Virtual Assistant Association (IVAA) can help you to attract better paying clients. There are many similar organizations that offer you help and advice.

There are still many businesses who do not know what a VA is and why they should hire one. This is brilliant as there is far less competition. Always be helpful in explaining how hiring a VA is going to benefit the company. Your business is only going to succeed if you market it well so spend time hunting for new clients.

The VA business is a fast growing business that is increasing in size every year. During a recession many companies are choosing to use such businesses instead of hiring new staff as they are far cheaper and more flexible.

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