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The virtual assistant industry has grown rapidly over the last decade. Today it has its own association and many certification programs. According to the International Virtual Assistants Association, a virtual assistant is an independent contractor who works in a remote place providing management, creative and technical support services to numerous clients. While many corporations hire home-based support office staff, virtual assistants can enjoy greater mobility and hourly charges --$30 and more--by running their own business. While virtual assistant certification can supply integrity to your service, it is not necessary to run a business. Step#1 Consider what services to give and what industry you'll provide them to. Some professional virtual assistants target on particular skills such as website support or customer service. Others focus on providing a selection of services to professionals in certain industries, such as Realtors or speakers. Create a listing of your virtual support skills such as typing speed, writing, research, technical expertise and phone skills. Also list your skills in using specific software and devices, like word processing and photo augmentation software, or in using digital audio equipment for transcription. Finally, list the businesses you have practical knowledge in or are well-informed about. Using these lists, recognize the services you'd like to offer and/or the industries you'd like to work in. Step#2 Justify your fee. Your fees will differ and depend on the amount of skill and/or industry knowledge required, and the amount of time and frequency needed to complete tasks. For example, a virtual assistant for a lawyer can charge more than a standard virtual assistant simply because she needs to know and understand legal terminology. Another virtual assistant could possibly charge $10 to prepare a single article but $75 to write a press release. Rates can be set by project or hourly rate. You will need to calculate which is the far better alternative and still marketable for you. The array of virtual assistant fees is from $15 up to $100 per hour. Clients who will need your services on a daily or regular basis, or for long-term projects, will prefer a monthly rate or project-fee. Retainer fees are usually a discount of the primary hourly rate. For example, if a virtual assistant gives a general rate of $30 per hour, her retainer clients pay $250 a month for ten hours of assistance at $25 per hour. Project fees are for tasks such as website building or ghost writing. Again you need to assess not only how much your time is truly worth, but also what your skills and expertise are worth. You may need to add a little support to your fees to reimburse for edits or changes the client asks for that are expected to be bundled -- within purpose -- in your services. Step#3 Write a business plan to define all the details of starting and working your virtual assistant enterprise. Illustrate your services and target market in detail such as transcription services to professional speakers or website support to authors. Outline your marketing plan for acquiring clients such as social networking with your target market. Estimate start-up and management prices, as well as profit forecasts. This needs to include prices of your computer, software needed to provide services and on-going fees such as Internet service. Calculate the common number of clients you need, at what average service price you need to break even as well as to make a earnings. Your business plan ought to detail all aspects of your business and desired goals for the next 12 months. Step#4 Determine on a business name and determine your business framework. Your business name should show that you run a virtual assistant business. You can select a name that is certain your market, but don't make it so specific that you can't add more services. For example, if you name your business ABC Transcription, it doesn't enable for you to include other services such as email support. You can function your business as a sole operator or form a legal organization such as a limited liability company (LLC). Obtain needed permits and licenses from your local city or county government business office. If your business name is something other than your given name, you'll likely be required to obtain a doing-business-as or assumed name statement. If you form an LLC or other business entity, you'll need to request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the Internal Revenue Service. As a sole proprietor you can utilize your social security number. Step#5 Set up your virtual office. Essentially your office space needed to be dedicated to your virtual assistant business. It should meet all your wants in terms of space, furniture, lighting and equipment and also be free from outside distractions. Because virtual assistant's sit for extended periods of time, select a comfy chair with back support and keep your computer monitor at a level that isn't going to strain your eyes or neck. Further, virtual assistants retain a great deal of information such as contact lists and billing for clients. To shield this information, equip your office with a back-up drive in the event that the computer crashes. Step#6 Market your virtual assistant company online and off. Construct a website that includes a assortment of your work, if related like writing or desktop design samples. Inquire for testimonials from current clients. Do some networking with your target market online and off. Send a press release that not only describes your new service, but also delivers details on how corporations can benefit from utilizing a virtual assistant. If you're focusing on a specific industry, send articles to that industry's specific trade magazine and network with its subscribers locally and online. Build a tactic to keep your customers coming back and having them refer new clients to you. For example, you can discount a client's services for as long as a referral of his keeps you on retainer.
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