Question:

What kind of investment should I expect to make to be a successful VA in 6 months? I know it is important to get business cards, get a domain, create a website, join online industry organizations and memberships. But what are the other considerable costs one should make?

Answer:
I think the answer to this question is a bit subjective. First you need to define what success means to you. Some only want to work part-time while others hope to make it a full-time business and earn six figures.

More important than a monetary investment is the investment in your time and energy. Before we get into that though I will cover some basics you need.

In my book, The Commonsense Virtual Assistant - Becoming an Entrepreneur, Not an Employee , the introduction lists some skills and tools you'll need such as:

• Business Plan
• License
• Contract
• Reliable computer
• Internet access
• Phone service
• Time tracking tool
• Project management tool

There are other investments you can make to get training and certification. These are not necessary. If you do choose some training or classes to get certified, make sure to check them out thoroughly so you are getting the value you need for the investment you make.

Now to the important investments: your time and energy. Your success will depend largely on the time and energy you are willing to spend to build your business. The number one investment in your time and energy should be to attend in-person networking events. I've written numerous times  about how important it is to do this if you intend to build trusting relationships with prospects and clients and gain referrals. The Commonsense Virtual Assistant book has an entire chapter dedicated to marketing and specifically covers networking.

So the real question you need to ask yourself is, "Am I willing to attend four networking events every month for the next six months and build relationships?" When I was growing my business I attended a different networking event every week of the month and did that consistently for six months. By the end of that time I had built trusting relationships with people who I was able to refer work to. That in turn led to my gaining new clients and referrals.

Let's ask other successful virtual assistants: what did you do to succeed?

Nearly four years ago I worked for a client in the real estate industry managing much of their financial needs with QuickBooks online. At times I would need tocollaborate with their accountant. Eventually they hired an in-house assistant and no longer needed my services. A few months later their accountant moved to another state.

Now neither I nor the accountant worked for this client any longer. However, the accountant connected with me on LinkedIn. I accepted the invitation to connect. We both thought, "you never know when we'll need the other's services". It's been nearly four years and I was just contacted by this accountant. She needs some work done and thought a virtual assistant could do this work. Who did she think of first? Someone she already had a relationship and connection with - me.

This reiterates the fact that building trusting relationships takes time. Don't be in a hurry to sell your services to total strangers. Take time to get to know people, Connect on LinkedIn, ask some questions, comment on their blog. Once they get to know you, like you and trust you, you'll have something to build a working relationship on.

When did you start your business?
I started virtual assisting a few years ago after I was laid off from an office management job. I'd been working in offices for fifteen years so moving to the virtual world to offer my services made sense to me. It started off with small projects and gradually grew from there. After doing virtual assisting off and on for several few years, I decided to formalize my efforts with a business name. In addition, I wanted to provide a resource for new and existing business owners to have help creating and maintaining their websites. So often I see websites that are a discombobulated jumble of themes, broken links, and poor copy. Eagle Eye Web Services was born as a blend of virtual assistant, business consultant, and website consultant in an effort to address some of the issues new and existing business owners face.

When did you choose to become a virtual assistant?
I can't say there was a definiing moment for me - it just grew from a combination of being sick to death of the corporate world and a need to put my skills to better use. I was sick of butting up against the income ceiling in the corporate world and after 15 years, I realized the only route for me to go was self-employment. I simply wasn't getting anywhere in the traditional way.

What advice would you give new and aspiring VAs?
Read everything you can, join a solid network of VAs, and make sure you take a hard look at your rates. I spent far too much time not making money in my business because I wasn't charging enough. Have confidence that your skills are needed and charge for them. But don't go crazy with it either. Make sure you have a legitimate basis for your fees.

What resources have helped you in your business?
Linked in, VirtualAssistants.com, and surprisingly enough, fellow virtual assistants. I have a colleague of mine who suggested resources to me when I was first starting out, even though we were both virtual assistants. That is practically unheard of in the cut-throat corporate world. I can't tell you how refreshing it is to not have that pressure of competition. Also, I cannot emphasize the value of networking and building a name in your local community. Those referrals are some of the best opportunities for your business.

Share something about yourself.
I'm a single mother to a beautiful daughter named Liberty. She is the reason behind so much of what I do and has given me the courage, motivation, and strength to become self-employed.

Charity's Contact Information:

Charity Van Vleet,  Eagle Eye Web Services

Website: http://www.eagleeyewebservices.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/cmvanvleet

When did you start your business?
Oct 2008

Why did you choose to become a Virtual Assistant?
When I started thinking about an online-based business I stumbled upon social media for businesses. It then became my passion, and along with the strong heartfelt desire to help people, I felt that becoming a virtual assistant was a great fit for me. With everything that social media encompasses, it became apparent that managing social media would be time consuming. Therefore, if I was going to offer social media services to the fullest, then I needed to focus my training on social media. Makes sense, right? Does that mean I can’t type a word document, of course I can. However, it simply means that I’m not going to stay on top of each and every version of MS Office or QuickBooks, especially since it is not my niche. What is does mean is that I will stay on top of what the social networks are doing and how they are changing our marketing and the way we run and manage our businesses so that I can help you stay on top of everything social media.

What advice would you give new and aspiring VAs?
The best advice I would give any aspiring VA is to make a niche out of what you love doing and stick with it.

What resources have helped you in your business?
IVAA, VA Networking and Beryl Powell of Operate it Right

Share something about yourself such as a hobby.
I love to read, I have a backlog of about 4 business books right now, plus one fun book that I am working on. I also have 2 cats, 1 bird and now 1 dog on top of my two boys at home.

Additional comments you’d like to share.
Always make sure to have a balance between work, family and fun. It is so tempting for me to work all day and all night and if I do that I know burn out is coming.

Dawn's Contact Information:
Dawn Pigoni, Be Social Worldwide
Website: http://besocialworldwide.com
Blog: http://besocialworldwide.com/blog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/dawntrenee
Facebook: http://facebook.com/SocialMediaMarketingVirtualAssistant
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/dawntrenee

Maureen and I met online while we were in British Columbia. We had the opportunity to meet in person on Monday and get to know each other better. I wish Maureen much success in her business.

When did you start your business? Jan 2010

Why did you choose to become a Virtual Assistant? I lost 3 jobs in a year due to the economy. I've always wanted to be my own boss so I thought it would be a good time to give it my best shot!

What advice would you give new and aspiring VAs? It's so easy to become overwhelmed learning everything. I started and then had to back up. I took a coaching course which helped me define my niche, target market, catch phrase, some marketing ideas... it gave me a better place to start.

What resources have helped you in your business? Networking online & offline. I use different social media sites for building online connections. Meeting other VA's through VAnetworking.com & keeping in contact with them also keeps me focussed and encouraged. Offline networking includes events through BNI and Chamber of Commerce. I use AWeber for my newsletters and I can't live without my iphone or ical. I've also joined the Women's Enterprise Centre and have connected with a mentor through them.  I take a lot of webinars through BizLaunch (they are free and very informative).

Share something about yourself such as a hobby. I just moved onto 2 acres and have 98 chickens, 5 pigs, 4 sheep, 2 bunnies, 2 canaries & lots of wild birds and deer. Whenever I need a quick break, I step outside & say hello to them. They help me regroup, de-stress & I love it! And yes, we sell fresh eggs everyday!

Additional comments you’d like to share. Owning your own business is great, but a lot of work. It is imperative to keep a cheering squad close to you because there are days you wonder what you were thinking! Then you have days that you realize you wouldn't change it for the world!

Maureen's Contact Information:
Maureen Floris, Kairos Business Solutions
Website: www.kairosbusiness.com
Twitter: @kairosbusiness
Facebook Page: facebook/Kairosbusiness