I found a lady online who is selling VA Business Starter Kit. She has a 45 day money back guarantee. She states with her kit you can be in business within 30 days. It looks very thorough. I'm pretty good at marketing so I think I could really get it started within 30 days.

Should I invest money in this kit? It's close to $500.

I didn't want to mention the name of the kit because I wasn't sure if I was allowed to mention in it in here.

I just wanted to know if anyone in the forum used some type of starter kit or package to help them get started or if you started from scratch. I just don't want to re-invent the wheel if I don't have to..if there is something good out there I would like to know about it.

Thank you for your advice.


[ADMIN UPDATE 3/7/2010 - this kit is now priced at $1,000]

I started completely from scratch and know many VAs who've gone the same route. It takes plenty of hard work and a bit of research but is well worth it. There are also lots of VAs who utilized startup packages and swear by them. Personally, I'd rather invest a lump sum in something like marketing, or a new piece of office equipment.

Now, if you're wanting to break into a specialized market or bring on a new skill set that requires additional training then by all means!

I'm sure you'll get plenty of feedback here on what other people have tried - in the meantime, you can check out the getting started printable list at this thread...will certainly give you some good points to focus on as you plan your business.

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Lisa, I would really caution you about spending $500 on a start-up kit, I agree with Tess, that can be used on something else that would help get your business up and running.

I've never even ran into something that cost so much .

I've used a number of things to help jump start my practice, but a $500 starter kit would not have been an option for me; even with the 45 day guarantee.

Keep looking around, I'm sure you will find other things that can be beneficial for you as you get started...and continue to inquire about things that you find, it's helpful to know what has worked for other successful businesses.

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Perfecting Assistance Services
www.perfectingassistance.com
Allowing you time to PERFECT your Business!

Hi Lisa,

As a new VA, it's often hard to decide where to spend what little money we have. I bought the VBSS when I first started out because I wanted to make a commitment to myself and to my new Virtual Assistant business. I felt it was a good investment and I liked the way it was set up to complete in 30 days. I also liked the testimonials by so many highly regarded VA's. My research in the Virtual Assistant had uncovered the same names repeatedly and it was comforting for me to know that so many highly successful VA's had used the system before me.

It is an excellent product and I highly recommend it. While I do believe that an emerging VA can learn a huge amount on their own from the various Virtual Assistant forums and sites and from their own research, I also believe that you need to be prepared to invest in your business and furthering your knowledge.

I would recommend it for any emerging VA, but I know the price tag can be overwhelming and only you can decide if that is where you wish to spend your money.

Feel free to PM if you have any questions, good luck!

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Kate V. Kerans
Kerans Virtual Assistance

Oh, forgive my ignorance, I didn't know that kit was almost $500! I have heard some great things about it though.

Again, as I said, it would not have been an option for me (because of the price), and I have done well without it so far. But as Kate said, the final decision rest with you.

Let us know what you decide :ears:

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Perfecting Assistance Services
www.perfectingassistance.com
Allowing you time to PERFECT your Business!

I think only you can really say for sure if this kit is for you or not. I didn't purchase a start up kit but invested my money in updating my equipment and software. My bookkeeping software alone cost $560 at the time so that didn't leave a lot to spend on other things. I did however read as much as I could, wrote notes, kept notebooks for ideas and my to do lists and I now have a binder full of information that I collected from various forums and seminars I attended online.

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Kylie Short
Tilda Virtual Services - Making virtual personal

Hi,

I agree with everyone else. I think in the end the decision would be yours to decide if you can afford to purchase the expensive VBSS.
I personally did not use a start-up kit. I did research on forums, read books and did my own research on-line.
I think you could essentially find all the information you would need here on this forum. There are great tips for just starting your VA business as well as recommended books to read.
My suggestion would be to invest your money into marketing and technology....but that is just my two cents, the ultimate decision is yours!

Wishing you much success,

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Ness, REPA
www.NessLindsay.com

I'm kind of jumping in late here, but I struggled with that in the beginning as well. Turns out I learned most of what I needed to know by doing my own research and talking to pros in the field. There are LOTS of free resources out there, and even VA coaches who charge a lot less than $500 to help you get your business started. (I know a really good one!)

Like others mentioned, $500 can be spent actually growing your business, or on a website/logo/marketing materials. However, only you can decide if it's really for you!

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Brianna Young, VA and Graphic Artist
www.virtualsolutionsadmin.com
"It's not the piano that makes beautiful music. It's the person sitting AT the piano!"

I have to agree with the majority. I seriously looked into purchasing this kit when I first started out. The content sounded great but after careful consideration decided it was just not in my budget at that time.

Since then I've basically found most of what I needed to know just by researching on my own and asking lots of questions on the forums. And there are cheaper alternative too. I purchased and read 5 Key Steps and Visionary VA's the collection. they are both excellent resources that I would recommend and take you through the necessary steps to starting your VA business.

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Deb Frawley
Gem's Virtual Office

I agree with everyone. Usually those of us who have started our own VA biz, have been doing office assistance (clerical) work for years and are very experienced at it already. Also, a lot of us already have a computer and printer, right? Basically, it's just learning how to make what we've already been doing forever virtual. So we set up a website which means we are virtual now. There are so many forums and other areas on the web that are free and extremely helpful with forms, legalese and the like. I would use your $500 for marketing or something your could benefit from a little more.