When you’re a new virtual assistant, it can be confusing and stressful trying to figure out everything you need for your business.
On top of that, money is tight, right? You may not have snagged your first client yet so free is sweet, sweet music to your ears!
Over the years I’ve tried tons of different programs and tools. Today I’ve gathered the best free tools for new virtual assistants, so you don’t have to waste your time finding the right ones.
This article may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through the link, I get a small percentage at no additional charge to you. See my disclosure for more info.
FREE TOOLS FOR NEW VIRTUAL ASSISTANTS
1) PayPal
PayPal is the way to go when collecting money from clients.
- You can send customized invoices for free (no need to buy fancy software with a monthly fee).
- You can set up recurring invoices and send reminders for unpaid invoices.
- Your client can pay with their PayPal, credit, or debit card.
You’ll have to pay transaction fees when you get paid (2.9% of the transaction within the US +$.30). Why pay a fee when a client can send a check for free? Because it’s easier, faster, and more secure!
2) Typeform
Typeform allows you to create free online surveys for clients.
You simply create the form, send the link to your clients, and they fill in their answers. Or you can embed the form on your website!
Forms you’ll need for your business:
- “Work with me” form to get details about a potential client before doing a discovery call.
- Onboarding form to get details you’ll need to do your client work.
- Feedback form to gather feedback and suggestions from clients to improve your services and get testimonials.
Another free option is Google Forms.
3) Calendly
Calendly is an online tool you can use to schedule your client discovery calls and meetings.
Instead of sending emails back and forth, asking, “What works for you?” you just send a link to your schedule, and the client can choose a date and time that works for them. BOOM. Done.
- Time zones are automatically adjusted for you.
- Clients can cancel and reschedule appointments themselves.
- Easily add scheduled appointments to your Google Calendar.
4) LastPass
LastPass is where you can store sensitive info like passwords for both you and your clients.
- It’s a secure way for clients to send you private info.
- It makes it super easy to log in to all the sites you’ll need to access.
- There’s an app that you can install on your phone so that you have access to everything.
- Clients have the option of making their login details visible or not.
5) Zoom
If you don’t know already, Zoom is a video conferencing tool that became well-known thanks to the pandemic. It’s perfect for doing discovery calls and meetings with clients.
- You choose whether you want to do video or non-video calls.
- You can record meetings.
- You can share your screen.
- You can share links, etc. in the chatbox.
- Having meetings through Zoom solves the problem of long-distance phone calls.
6) DROPBOXSign
DropboxSign (previously called HelloSign) is a tool that helps you send client contracts. Under the free plan, you can send up to 3 contracts a month. If you send more than 3, there’s a monthly fee.
- Upload your contract, sign it, and send it to your client to sign.
- You’ll receive a notification when they sign it.
Not sure what your contract should say? I have templates available here!
Not sure how to use DropboxSign? Here’s a blog post on how to use it!
7) Google Drive
You can create documents, spreadsheets, and slides using Google Drive (and keep it all organized). It’s what I use to store my SOPs, write my blog posts, and organize my business.
- Everything is saved to the cloud automatically (you don’t have to hit save constantly).
- You can share files and folders with clients or vice versa.
- You can collaborate with a client and everything is updated on both ends.
- You can save images and files.
- There’s an app so you can access folders on your phone too.
8) Trello
Trello is a project management tool that will help you organize your to-dos and client projects.
- Organize and prioritize your to-do’s in an easy, visual way that’s fun.
- Create boards, lists, cards, checklists – it’s an organizer’s dream!
- Link to your Google Calendar, upload images and files, and more!
- There’s an app for your phone too, so you can view your to-do’s on the go.
9) Dropbox
Dropbox is what I use to save my files instead of saving them directly on my computer.
- You can sync Dropbox to all your devices and when you make a change on one, it updates all the rest.
- You can easily share files and folders with clients and vice versa.
- You can share large files (instead of sending them through email and having download issues).
- Sending files is much more secure than email.
- It’s a popular file storage tool that lots of businesses use.
- You can send files to anyone, even if they don’t have a Dropbox account.
- You’ll have 30 days of file recovery and version history.
I use it so much that I’m on the Plus plan, but the free Basic plan offers 2GB of space which held me over for a while. If you sign up through this link, you’ll receive 50 MB of bonus space (up to a limit of 32 GB). Whoo Hoo!
See! You don’t need to spend a ton of money to start or operate your VA business. All you need are a few free tools to get you started! You can always upgrade later, but I’ve used some of these for years because they meet my needs perfectly.
From collecting money to getting testimonials….Introvert VA Club will show you how to set up the basic systems in your business. In fact, we have tutorials on how to set up all the tools I mentioned in the blog post!
RELATED ARTICLES:
Programs You Want to be Familiar with as a Virtual Assistant
Video Tutorial: How to Create and Send Contracts to Your Clients
How to Build Your Virtual Assistant Business Before You Have a Website
