Dear Gritty VA:
I have wanted to start my own Virtual Assistant business for a while now. I’ve been with the same large corporation for 12 years. Some of that time spent in the Medical Law department, as a human resources assistant, and about six years as an executive assistant juggling mulitple managers. Prior to that, I worked from a woman’s home as her assistant as she ran her own company bringing in over $400,000 gross per year. I’m a bit nervous about taking the jump of quitting my secure job and starting my business. What is the best way to get support from the industry of Virtual Assistants so that I don’t jump in blindly? –KC
This is an easy one… join Virtual Assistant organizations and networking forums. While you’re employed is a great time to do your homework and due diligence, as well as learn about and set up the foundations in your business.
I never recommend new anyone jump into this business without being properly capitalized or with at least some kind of income to live on until you get established. You might get clients right away, but for many new Virtual Assistants, these are just project work, nothing that is going to create regular, dependable cashflow. It often takes many months, sometimes over a year, to develop a roster of retained clientele (that is, clients who pay an ongoing monthly fee for a package of administrative support) that you can live on.
Good luck!
Thanks for commenting. Yeah, the virtual assistant term is really completely idiotic to...
