How to become a Virtual Assistant. Essential Steps for Success

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If I had £1 for every time I’ve been asked that question, I’d be writing this from my yacht – probably moored somewhere around the Cornish coast.

Well OK, I may not have the yacht… but I do have the answer to that question! As I see it, you’ve really got 4 choices of how to set yourself up as a VA:

  1. Become an Associate VA, working for someone else in their VA business.
  2. Set up your own VA business with professional 1:1 support.
  3. Set up your own VA business following an online course.
  4. Set up on your own.

Each of the options above have advantages and disadvantages. So how do you choose? Well, here’s a potted breakdown of each…

1. Become an Associate VA

An Associate VA is likely to do exactly the same work as any other VA. The difference is Associate VAs work for another Virtual Assistant business as and when required. You bill the VA business you’re working with for your time at an agreed rate.

As an Associate VA, you’ll normally need to set yourself up as self-employed and keep records as any self-employed person does.

Advantages

  • Not expected to source your own clients.
  • Some of your insurances may be covered under the business you work for.

Disadvantages

  • Less control of the work you do and the clients you work for.
  • Lower income – The VA business will normally take a 40% mark-up of the hourly rate charged to the client.
  • Hard to predict your monthly income.
  • Less flexibility.

2. Set up your own VA business with professional 1:1 support

Setting up any business takes hard work, dedication, and commitment. You need to know exactly what to do – and how – to make it a successful business, attracting and retaining paying clients.

With the right 1:1 support, such as mentoring with a trusted industry professional, you can actually save yourself money, time, and hassle in the long term.

Now obviously this option is going to be really expensive, so if you’re going to make such a big investment, just make sure you’re absolutely ready to give it the time it needs. You really don’t want to waste thousands if you’re not in a position to be 100% committed to getting the most from your mentor.

Advantages:

  • Dedicated support.

Disadvantages:

  • Cost
  • Acceptance criteria in some cases.
  • Some training providers don’t meet industry standards.

3. Set up with an Online VA Business Course

This is a good option if you’re looking for a good halfway house between going it alone and having full mentored support. If you’re planning to set up a VA business flexibly around other commitments or your existing job, then this could be the perfect solution for you if you know what to look out for when choosing a course.

Firstly, make sure the content has been created by a respected VA industry professional  (The Society of Virtual Assistants is a great indicator of whether your chosen trainer has met their exacting standards) and covers everything you’ll need to know, including all the complicated areas that you’ll really need to cover like GDPR and legal agreements.

Then just make sure it’s relevant to the UK virtual assistant market if you live here in the UK. That may sound obvious but many of the online courses available have their roots in the US market and won’t include relevant information on UK laws and regulations.

Finally, make sure there’s a support option if you find you need a little help during the course. Now you may need to pay extra for this but without it, you may come to a grinding halt if you find yourself mid-course with an issue and nobody to help you.

You’ll need to be focused and determined to make sure you follow your online course through to completion but the right course with the right person can build a very successful VA business this way.

I’ve often found with online courses that I need a bit of extra support to get through some of the more challenging elements so in my FAB-VA online course I have recorded dedicated module support videos to help you though these and the feedback received has been amazing.

The learning resources are likely to be delivered on a cloud-based platform, making them super convenient to pick up when and wherever you have spare time.

Advantages:

  • Low cost training.
  • Flexible.
  • Can build your business around existing job.
  • Step by step guide.

Disadvantages:

  • 1:1 support not included.
  • Some courses do not cover UK regulations such as GDPR, watch out for this.

4. Set up on your own – unsupported

Because of the small amount of equipment and the fact that you can work from home in your VA business, some VAs decide to give it a go on their own.

There are articles, blog posts and mini training sessions on some elements but it’s a devil of a job pulling it all together and deciding which of the conflicting bits of advice to take. Then there’s the uncertainty of wondering if you’ve complied with GDPR, HMRC and other laws and regulations  –  getting it wrong can have serious implications for you and your business.

And aside from the legal and regulatory worries, there’s also the time it takes to get established, find clients and start earning a decent income. In fact, the only people I’ve seen who have managed this successfully are those who have at least a couple of clients they already know lined up in advance.

Unfortunately, for most people, this just isn’t the case.

I took this unsupported route myself over 16 years ago because back then there weren’t experts like me around.

I made all the mistakes in the book, which at that time wasn’t even written! It cost me time, money, and countless nights with no sleep.

It’s not a route I would recommend because it ends up costing you more and it takes longer to build your business… and that’s if you even make it that far.

In my experience, most give up because they hit so many stumbling blocks and they don’t earn what they need to, because they don’t know how. Most end up back in the corporate world wondering why it didn’t work.

Advantages:

  • No training costs.

Disadvantages:

  • Everything else!

 

So, there you have it.

I’m a firm believer that it’s not just a case of having the right mix of skills to be a great VA because there are many superb PAs, EAs and Administrators that haven’t made it in their own VA business. It definitely wasn’t a lack of skills, ability, or determination… it was simply a case of they didn’t know what they didn’t know. And that cost them greatly.

You see without support, without a complete roadmap to guide you through the whole process, you’re likely to encounter all the costly bumps in the road that I hit when I set up my own VA business Vi-VA in 2005. Expensive mistakes. Time consuming mistakes. Confidence shattering mistakes.

I’m glad to say I persevered and things are very different today from those early days when the UK VA market was just getting started and experienced support was almost impossible to find. My extensive experience means I’ve now become one of the industry experts helping others.

So, if you’ve considered all the options and you’re thinking of setting up via a cost effective online course, check out my FAB-VA programme.

I’m pleased to say I am a Society of Virtual Assistants Approved Trainer but whoever you decide to go with, please do your research and make an informed choice to get your VA business up, running and successful. And preferably minimise your risk by going with a provider who offers a money back guarantee.

Sarah Rugg x

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