10 Big Myths About Starting a Virtual Assistant Business

If you’ve done any research on starting a virtual assistant business, your mind is probably spinning! There’s so much information out there that it’s difficult to know what is true and where to start. This can cause information overload and analysis paralysis.

As a virtual assistant mentor, I don’t like hearing about anyone being stuck. That’s why I’m here to break down common myths about starting a VA business and get you back on your path to creating one that makes you feel excited and free!

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.

 

10 MYTHS ABOUT STARTING A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT BUSINESS

 

1) You HAVE to have a niche

There’s a lot of talk about niches in the VA and business world and yes, niching is important. It makes marketing easier and you can get really good at one thing (and make more money). But as a new VA it can be really hard to narrow down your service offerings to one main thing.

Instead of stressing out about it and getting stuck (and not doing anything), just create a menu of services that clients can choose from for an hourly rate. This gives you a chance to see which services are the most popular so that you can become more niched later.

Once you’re more clear on your niche you can create packages and become the go-to VA for that service!

 

2) Anyone can be a VA

VA work is not for everyone. In order to be a successful VA, you need to have a genuine love of helping people. 

You must also want to be your own boss. When running your own biz you have lots to juggle. Client work, marketing, taxes, etc. You either are entrepreneur material or you’re not. I personally wouldn’t have it any other way!

 

3) You HAVE to have a logo

A logo is not what makes a business…clients do! And you can get plenty of clients without one!

Focus on creating a solid foundation for your business, like the services you’ll offer, the clients you’ll work with, and your processes. Those are more important than a logo.

 

4) You HAVE to have a website before you get clients

It might seem like you’re putting the cart before the horse, but it’s not. There are plenty of VAs who have started their businesses without a website. In fact, some start them a year or two into business and some never do!

You can get the word out about your business through any of these:

• Canva portfolio
• Simple 1-page Canva website
• Google Doc
• Business FB Page
• LinkedIn Profile

 

 

 

5) Build it and they will come

I’ve fallen into this trap too. It feels like once you get that website up or as soon as you share a post on your FB biz page that clients will flock to you.

Nope. You have to put yourself out there a little more than that. (Gasp!). Building relationships is important. Remember: relationships are GOLD. Personally reaching out to people is the best way to get your first clients.

 

6) You need a blog and email list

Gah! This one drives me nuts. Why? Because it’s bad advice that people say all the time online.

When you start your virtual assistant business, you want to focus on short-term marketing strategies. Things like beta testing and directly reaching out to people are going to help you build your client list quickly.

Blogging and email lists are long-term marketing strategies that you do later after you have money coming in. Both are excellent for getting more website traffic and sales, but they’re not something you need to stress about in the beginning. (Exception: if you’re a blog writer, you should have some blog posts as examples).

 

7) You shouldn’t invest in your business until you have clients

If you’re serious about starting a successful VA business, the best thing you can do is invest time and money into your training. Learning how to properly set up a VA business, including which services to offer, how to price them, and how to make your biz legit, are important.

Free training and blog posts are great, but spending a little money on something that is organized and designed to help you quickly go from point A to point B will really be the best thing for you and will ensure you don’t miss any steps along the way.

You’ll find a list of my favorite tools, courses, and resources here.

 

8) You need ALL the tools to help you run your business

When you’re a new VA your priority isn’t to spend money on automation and systems that cost a large monthly or yearly fee. Instead, you want to opt for low cost or free options until your business takes off. There’s no point in paying for software when you don’t have clients going through them. 

One tool I always recommend spending a little money on, however, is an accounting program. I use Quickbooks to track my income, expenses, and taxes. Some VAs like Freshbooks because of how simple it is to use.

Regardless, you want something you can connect your payment sources to (PayPal, business credit card, bank) so that it can track money seamlessly for you and just spit out a report. You also want one that makes tax time easier.

Instead of investing in expensive software to automate your systems and processes you can create SOPs and store them in Google Drive. Once you’re making money you can invest in tools to make things more automated.

 

9) You can only make SO much as a VA

Once you figure out your services and processes, and you have a steady stream of clients, you can scale your biz!

Scaling allows you to increase your profits without doing ALL the things.

One way you can scale your biz is to hire a VA to help you with client work or tasks that you dislike. Another way is to create and sell passive income products like ebooks, courses, templates, etc.

 

10) You need to feel confident before promoting your biz and putting yourself out there

Au contraire! Confidence comes from taking action. 

One of the biggest hang-ups that VAs have is that they’re afraid of coming across as “salesy”. 

My best advice is to change your mindset. Instead of “marketing yourself,” just be authentic and let people know what you do and how you can help them. There are people out there looking for you! Help them find you!

Make it your #1 goal to get out there as much as possible so that your ideal client can find you.

If you’re also afraid that people will judge you, have a think about these people. Who are they to judge you? Are they doing something to improve their lives? Most likely they aren’t. Instead, they are stuck, spinning their wheels, and throwing shade on others. 

 

Hopefully, I helped debunk some of the myths you’ve seen floating around the world wide web. I’d hate for you to give up on the idea of becoming a VA before you even start! Having a VA business can literally change your life and help you create a life that feels more creative, alive, and free.

Want more support and a step-by-step plan to start your VA biz from scratch? Come join the Introvert VA Club today!

 

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