I am a new VA, and have few years of experience. After being out of work for about 2 years with my 2 children, I decided this might be a good venture for me.
Background - I have great research / project management experience. I have experience in grant writing and scientific paper writing as well.

My question to you - experienced and established VAs is ... How did you get your first client? how long does it take to get one?

Thanks!

__________________
Angel
http://www.bkandntva.com

I'd also love to new, I've been advertising for about 2 weeks now, and went to my first networking meeting and haven't had one inquiry yet. Not exactly sure how to keep going. I'd love to see upcoming replies :-)

I work full time and have been a VA as a sideline for many years. I haven't advertised to speak of and do one project here and there. The time in between allows me to scrape up the dog/cat hair, re-arrange the dust and deal with the dust bunnies (which by then are the size of a cocker spaniel!).

I've done 3 small (under 100 pieces) direct mailing over the years. One got me a $1200 project, one a $600 project and one a (somewhat deadbeat) lawyer who I cut loose after about a year. I have magnetic vehicle signage I put on when the van is clean and I'm in the mood for another project.

That's about it so far but right now, with the economy and uncertainties in the job market, I'm seriously getting down to marketing.

[QUOTE=Wordpro Wizard;82570] I have magnetic vehicle signage I put on when the van is clean and I'm in the mood for another project.
/QUOTE]

This made me giggle and think about my own poor van that seems to always need a bath due to the country roads I live on!


One option in looking for clients, is through the freelance sites, like Elance, Guru, etc. I know they are not favorably looked upon by the VA industry in general, I think there can be some value. I have personally made connections through Elance, and have had the opportunity to develop a portfolio through work done there.

There are decent RFP's there, but one has to be patient and selective to avoid the $1/hour jobs.

Overall, I think it's a consideration for the VA starting out.

__________________
Crystal Coleman, The Northern Edge

Hello- I am finding it hard to get your "first" clients. I did get some outsourcing work for a person in North Carolina, back in December; but she hasn't had any work for me since. I am also, now, starting to work on obtaining my own clients, rather then being a person to just outsource to, as I have found, that not many va's want to outsource as well. If you think of anything helpful or different that you are using to find/obtain clients, please share! I am working on a PowerPoint presentation to email to local businesses around my area, to let them know about this "new" business, and to see if I get any responses. If you try that, let me know how that works for you!

~ Rhonda

The best way to get clients is to network, network, network. It doesn't really matter if it's in person or virtually - the key is to get your name out there and build your reputation.

Find out where your niche clients hang out - it could be Yahoo groups or Linked In - whatever. Join those groups, participate by answering question intelligently, asking questions, or providing ideas for solutions.

I do find that forming relationships is the key - don't start off pitching services. Build a consistent relationship and your reputation will grow. As that happens, you will be amazed at the amount of traffic you get.

Good luck!

__________________
Pat Zappavigna
Instant Office Assistant

What is your favorite website for networking? I have tried LinkedIn, but I don't understand it very well, so I haven't gotten far into it, as well was Twitter; is there anything about these sites that would help me get more used to the site? I use Facebook and Myspace every day, so these two I am very familiar with. Thank you!

There all a lot of great ones out there. I like LinkedIn for the questions - you can really show your expertise there and shine.

You can also check out the different Yahoo groups and see if any of them fit your target market. Do a google search on your target market (i.e., home staging) and see where your perfect client is hanging out.

__________________
Pat Zappavigna
Instant Office Assistant

Thanks fellow VA's very helpful. As any industry, it is frustrating in the starting.. I guess having a positive attitude and being persistent helps!

Cheers

__________________
Angel
http://www.bkandntva.com

I joined chamber of commerce in my area and also joined other networking venues as well. I found outsourcing to be a bit helpful in many ways. If you get a client from some one, who knows that person may refer you to someone they know in need for your services. Marketing and networking is to me, one of the best ways to land a new client. I also do work for my past employer, small projects but it's something. Becayse I worked so closely with him, I knew his areas of need and since I was laid off and there was no replacement I marketed right to him.

Keep up the good work!